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The role of the predatory trahira (Pisces: Erythrinidae) in structuring fish assemblages in lakes of a Neotropical floodplain

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Abstract

We performed an experimental manipulation of trahira Hoplias aff. malabaricus in a series of isolated lakes of the upper Paraná River floodplain to evaluate its short-term impact on the structure of fish assemblages. The effects of trahira density (treatment groups: addition, removal, and reference) in two habitat categories (open and macrophyte-covered areas) on attributes of the fish assemblage structure were evaluated (using rm-ANOVA) over 120 days. Reductions in species richness were recorded in all assemblages and were more pronounced at the end of the experiment within macrophyte-covered areas of the lakes where H. aff. malabaricus was removed. In these lakes, the number of fish was also significantly smaller and evenness was significantly higher than in those in which trahira were added or maintained at natural densities. The increase of the relative abundance of all size classes over the first 60 days on the assemblages where trahira was present, and the decrease of the small-sized fish where trahira was absent contributed to the lack of pronounced alterations in total biomass. The absence of the predator from its preferred habitat was found to negatively affect the less abundant species, which seemed to be highly sensitive to the effects of interspecific competition among prey species. In addition to the well-known effects of hydrological seasonality, the role played by native predators might be important in determining the persistence of local species in the fish assemblages of Neotropical floodplains.

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Acknowledgments

This study is part of the PhD dissertation of ACP, in the Program of Environmental Sciences, of the Maringá State University, in the long-term program PELD Site-6 . Authors acknowledge many people and institutions: several students of Maringá State University assisted in field and lab work; logistical support was supplied by the Nucleus of Research in Limnology, Ichthyology and Aquaculture (Nupélia), and financial support was provided by the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) to PELD Site-6, to ACP (Process 142220/2001-9), and to LCG, AAA, and ACP (research productivity scholarship). We particularly acknowledge the critical reading and suggestions of E. K. Okada, L. M. Bini, and C. S. Agostinho. The constructive comments of G. Grossman and other five anonymous referees substantially contributed to the improvement of earlier versions of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Nupem, R. Rotary Club, sn, CP: 119331, Macaé, RJ, 27910-970, Brazil

    Ana Cristina Petry

  2. Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Nupélia, Av. Colombo, 5790, Maringá, PR, 87020-900, Brazil

    Luiz Carlos Gomes & Angelo Antonio Agostinho

  3. Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, R. da Faculdade, 2550, Toledo, PR, 85903-000, Brazil

    Pitágoras Augusto Piana

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  1. Ana Cristina Petry
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  2. Luiz Carlos Gomes
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Correspondence to Ana Cristina Petry.

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Petry, A.C., Gomes, L.C., Piana, P.A. et al. The role of the predatory trahira (Pisces: Erythrinidae) in structuring fish assemblages in lakes of a Neotropical floodplain. Hydrobiologia 651, 115–126 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0281-0

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