Feeding ecology of the critically endangered Valencia letourneuxi (Valenciidae) |
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Authors: | Eleni Kalogianni Sofia Giakoumi Argyro Andriopoulou and Yorgos Chatzinikolaou |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athinon—Souniou Av., P.O. Box 712, 190 13 Anavissos, Greece |
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Abstract: | Valencia letourneuxi is a critically endangered freshwater fish in urgent need of targeted conservation. Little information is however available
on its life history and feeding ecology; therefore, food resource utilization by V. letourneuxi was studied in its most abundant known Greek population of Chiliadou stream. The diet of this population appears to be dominated
by microcrustaceans, Dipteran larvae, Acari, and Mollusca. Its feeding is highly dependent on seasonal prey availability and
diversity, with niche overlap being low only between winter and the rest of the seasons, indicating that only during winter
its diet differs significantly in relation to the other seasons. There are no significant sex- and size-related dietary shifts.
This V. letourneuxi population is characterized by a generalist feeding strategy and appears to consist mostly of individuals with broad niches.
Its generalist feeding pattern and dietary flexibility permits it to fully exploit this very diverse and rich habitat and
may account for the high local abundance of this population. |
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