<b>Comparative study about diet, feeding habits and trophic morphology of two sympatric species of small fishes in association with aquatic macrophytes</b>- DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.167

Abstract

In this study we analyzed the diet and trophic morphology of two species, one of Cheirodontinae and one of Aphyocharacinae, associated with aquatic macrophytes in nine isolated lagoons of the Paraná river floodplain, Brazil, during 2001. Diet showed that Aphyocharax anisitsi feed mainly on microcrustaceans and Serrapinnus notomelas feed mainly on algae. Trophic morphology, including mouth, tooth, gill rakers and stomach showed apparently the same pattern for the two species. However, teeth are the biggest and the hardest in S. notomelas. Regarding intestine length there was significant interaction between standard length (F_2.215 = 74.89; p<0.0001) and the species (F_1.215 = 4.72; p<0.0001). Higher mean of intestine length was verified in S. notomelas and a smaller mean in A. anisitsi. Based on dates of diet and morphology, it is possible to conclude that there are trophic segregation between the two species. Thus, the co-existence of these species is possible in function of the wide food supply given by aquatic macrophytes.