Effects of structural heterogeneity provided by the floating macrophyte <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eichhornia azurea</Emphasis> on the predation efficiency and habitat use of the small Neotropical fish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae</Emphasis> |
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Authors: | André Andrian Padial Sidinei Magela Thomaz Angelo Antonio Agostinho |
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Institution: | 1.Programa de Pós-Gradua??o em Ecologia & Evolu??o, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas,Universidade Federal de Goiás,Goiania,Brazil;2.Núcleo de Pesquisa em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aqüicultura (Nupélia) – UEM,Maringá,Brazil |
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Abstract: | Macrophytes have a fundamental structuring role in aquatic environments. Several authors have suggested that trophic interactions
are particularly mediated by aquatic plants. In the current article, we evaluated the effects of the structural heterogeneity
provided by Eichhornia azurea (Kunth) roots on predation and habitat use by the small fish Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae (Steindachner). We tested the hypotheses that (i) high structural heterogeneity protects macroinvertebrates against predation
by M. sanctaefilomenae; (ii) distinct prey types are differently protected by the refuge provided by roots; and (iii) the behavior of M. sanctaefilomenae is affected by the structural heterogeneity provided by macrophyte roots. To test these hypotheses, we performed an experiment
in 20 l aquaria in which macroinvertebrates (Cypricercus sp. and Chironomus sp.) were exposed to M. sanctaefilomenae predation for 4 h under three structural heterogeneities, represented by different root densities. High structural heterogeneity
protected macroinvertebrates against predation. Additionally, E. azurea roots similarly protected different prey species. The macrophyte spatial structure substantially changed the habitat use
of M. sanctaefilomenae. In general, our results corroborated the hypothesis that the structural heterogeneity provided by E. azurea roots significantly affects predation and habitat use by M.
sanctaefilomenae.
Handling editor: S. Declerck |
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Keywords: | Structural heterogeneity Eichhornia azurea Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae Macroinvertebrates Trophic interactions |
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