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The structuring role of free-floating plants on the fish community in a tropical shallow lake: an experimental approach with natural and artificial plants

  • SHALLOW LAKES
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Abstract

Free-floating plants are important components of aquatic ecosystems in tropical climates, playing a key role in the structure and spatial distribution of fish communities. This study aims at elucidating the potential effects of free-floating vegetation on fish community structure in a tropical floodplain lake, using an experimental approach based on natural and artificial devices (Eichhornia crassipes), in high and low (LT) turbidity waters. A total of 32 fish species were found, richness, abundance, biomass, mean fresh body weight, and standard length were all significantly higher in the LT regions. Although no significant differences of community traits were found between artificial and natural substrates, regardless of water turbidity, fish composition differences between devices were observed in clear waters. Benthivorous fishes were the most widespread trophic group, with higher abundance and biomass in LT, while no differences were found among plant types. The results confirmed the structural role played by free-floating plants in the fish community by offering a refuge to smaller bodied fish species and younger specimens of larger species, independently of turbidity conditions. However, the effect was stronger in clear waters. The evidence also supported the hypothesis that the fish community forages within the plant beds. Turbidity spatial gradients or turbid regimes in tropical shallow lakes, as well as important floating macrophyte coverage could have strong impacts on the fish community structure.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Juan Pablo Pacheco and Placiano Lima for field sampling collaboration and Jeater Santos for the wind information. Financial support: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Brasil (453919/2012-0, 490675/2010-7), FAPEMAT (484619/2011) and DICYT-MEC. VH was partially supported by CNPq (309700/2013-2), TSF by postdoctoral Grant 2010/11269-2, São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and FTM, NM, and CI were supported by SNI-ANII (Uruguay).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecología Teórica y Aplicada, CURE-Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay

    Franco Teixeira-de Mello, Carlos Iglesias & Néstor Mazzeo

  2. Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Rondonópolis, MT, Brazil

    Valdeci Antonio de Oliveira & Simoni Maria Loverde-Oliveira

  3. Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Vera Lucia M. Huszar

  4. Environmental Hydraulics Institute, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain

    José Barquín & Ana Silió-Calzada

  5. Departamento de Geografia, Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas, UNESP – Univ. Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil

    Thiago Sanna Freire Silva

  6. Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil

    Carlos Henrique Duque-Estrada

Authors
  1. Franco Teixeira-de Mello
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  2. Valdeci Antonio de Oliveira
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  3. Simoni Maria Loverde-Oliveira
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  4. Vera Lucia M. Huszar
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  5. José Barquín
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  6. Carlos Iglesias
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  7. Thiago Sanna Freire Silva
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  8. Carlos Henrique Duque-Estrada
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  9. Ana Silió-Calzada
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  10. Néstor Mazzeo
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Franco Teixeira-de Mello or Valdeci Antonio de Oliveira.

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Guest editors: M. Beklioğlu, M. Meerhoff, T. A. Davidson, K. A. Ger, K. E. Havens & B. Moss / Shallow Lakes in a Fast Changing World

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Teixeira-de Mello, F., de Oliveira, V.A., Loverde-Oliveira, S.M. et al. The structuring role of free-floating plants on the fish community in a tropical shallow lake: an experimental approach with natural and artificial plants. Hydrobiologia 778, 167–178 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2447-2

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