Experimental assessment of the effects of a Neotropical nocturnal piscivore on juvenile native and invasive fishes
dc.contributor.author
dc.date.accessioned
2013-02-12T10:38:31Z
dc.date.available
2013-02-12T10:38:31Z
dc.date.issued
2012
dc.identifier.issn
1679-6225
dc.identifier.uri
dc.description.abstract
We experimentally examined the predator-prey relationships between juvenile spotted sorubim Pseudoplastystoma corruscans and young-of-the-year invasive and native fish species of the Paraná River basin, Brazil. Three invasive (peacock bass Cichla piquiti, Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, and channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus) and two native (yellowtail tetra Astyanax altiparanae and streaked prochilod Prochilodus lineatus) fish species were offered as prey to P. corruscans in 300 L aquaria with three habitat complexity treatments (0%, 50% and 100% structure-covered). Prey survival was variable through time and among species (C. piquiti < O. niloticus < A. altiparanae < P. lineatus < I. punctatus), depending largely on species-specific prey behavior but also on prey size and morphological defenses. Habitat complexity did not directly affect P. corruscans piscivory but some prey species changed their microhabitat use and shoaling behavior among habitat treatments in predator’s presence. Pseudoplatystoma corruscans preyed preferentially on smaller individuals of those invasive species with weak morphological defensive features that persisted in a non-shoaling behavior. Overall, our results contrast with those in a companion experiment using a diurnal predator, suggesting that nocturnal piscivores preferentially prey on different (rather diurnal) fish species and are less affected by habitat complexity. Our findings suggest that recovering the native populations of P. corruscans might help controling some fish species introduced to the Paraná River basin, particularly C. piquiti and O. niloticus, whose parental care is expected to be weak or null at night
dc.format.mimetype
application/pdf
dc.language.iso
eng
dc.publisher
Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia
dc.relation.ispartof
Neotropical Ichthyology, 2012, vol. 10, núm. 1, p. 167-176
dc.relation.ispartofseries
Articles publicats (D-CCAA)
dc.rights
Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Spain
dc.rights.uri
dc.subject
dc.title
Experimental assessment of the effects of a Neotropical nocturnal piscivore on juvenile native and invasive fishes
dc.type
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.rights.accessRights
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.type.version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.identifier.idgrec
017260
dc.identifier.eissn
1982-0224