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Feeding ecology of fish in a coastal river of the Atlantic Rain Forest

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Abstract

Feeding ecology of fish assemblage in a costal river of the Atlantic Rain Forest in Southern Brazil was investigated. Monthly samples using different fishing techniques were completed on a section of the river characterized as a freshwater environment, and an adjacent tide-influenced estuarine section. Species were grouped into three major Feeding Mode Functional Groups: Zoobenthivore, Omnivore and Detritivore. The river section with the greatest occurrence was the site where the most abundant species are likely to feed most intensively. Freshwater strangler species (Cyphocharax santacatarinae - detritivorous, Rhamdia quelen and Oligosarcus hepsetus - zoobenthivorous) presented higher stomach repletion in the freshwater environment while marine migrants (Genidens genidens and Etropus crossotus - zoobenthivorous) and estuarine residents (Bairdiella ronchus - zoobenthivorous) presented higher repletion in the tide-influenced estuarine stretch. Use of food resources was influenced by spatial and temporal variations linked to environmental characteristics such as salinity, habitat heterogeneity, life history evolution, feeding specialization and resource partitioning. Hypotheses concerning potential keystone species, ecosystem engineers or strong interactors were also discussed.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa) for financial support, SPVS (Sociedade de Proteção a Vida Selvagem) and Laboratório de Ecologia de Rios (UFPR) for partially supporting this study, Maria Antônia Michels de Souza and Kátia Pouey for the field work, Dr. Marcelo Aranha (UFPR) for providing research space and kindly reviewing the first draft of the manuscript, and Dra. Carolina Arruda Freire (LFCO) for revision and suggestions on the final manuscript.

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  1. Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-970, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

    Jean Ricardo Simões Vitule

  2. Grupo de Pesquisas em Ictiofauna, Museu de História Natural Capão da Imbuia, Rua Prof. Benedito Conceição, 407, 82810-080, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

    Jean Ricardo Simões Vitule, Hugo Bornatowski & Vinícius Abilhoa

  3. Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Cx. Postal 19020, 81531-990, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

    Jean Ricardo Simões Vitule, Flávia Francine Gazola da Silva, Hugo Bornatowski & Vinícius Abilhoa

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  1. Jean Ricardo Simões Vitule
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Vitule, J.R.S., da Silva, F.F.G., Bornatowski, H. et al. Feeding ecology of fish in a coastal river of the Atlantic Rain Forest. Environ Biol Fish 96, 1029–1044 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-012-0101-7

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