Conservation puzzle: Endangered hyacinth macaw depends on its nest predator for reproduction

In the Pantanal wetlands of Central Brazil, the endangered hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), the largest psitacid in the world, makes its nest almost exclusively in natural hollows found in the manduvi tree (Sterculia apetala). The recruitment of manduvis greatly depends on the seed dispersal services provided by the toco toucan (Ramphastos toco), responsible for 83.3% of the seed dispersal. The toco toucan, however, is responsible for about 53% of the preyed eggs, resulting in a case of conflicting ecological pressures in which the reproduction of the hyacinth macaw is indirectly dependent on the seed dispersal services of its nest predator. The case illustrates the intricacies of biotic interactions in species-rich environments where species may be tied by indirect, subtle ecological links which conservationists should be aware of. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cleaning Symbiosis Between Hawksbill Turtles and Reef Fishes at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, off Northeast Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

The goatfish Pseudupeneus maculatus and its follower fishes at an oceanic island in the tropical west Atlantic

The influence of a substratum-disturbing forager, the spotted goatfish Pseudupeneus maculatus on the assemblage of its escorting, opportunistic-feeding fishes was examined at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (tropical west Atlantic). Followers attracted to spotted goatfish foraging singly differed from followers of spotted goatfish foraging in groups in several characteristics. The larger the nuclear fish group, the greater the species richness and number of individuals of followers. Moreover, groups of foraging spotted goatfish attracted herbivores, not recorded for spotted goatfish foraging singly. The size of follower individuals increased with the size and the number of foraging spotted goatfish. The zoobenthivorous habits of the spotted goatfish and its ability to disturb a variety of soft substrata render it an important nuclear fish for several follower species of the reef fish assemblage at Fernando de Noronha. (c) 2006 the Authors Journal compilation (c) 2006 the Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Landmark-based morphometric analysis in selected species of serranid fishes (Perciformes : Teleostei)

Morphological differences among 6 species of marine fishes belonging to 2 subfamilies of the family Serranidae (Serraninae: Dules auriga, Diplectrum formosum, and D, radiale; Epinephelinae: Epinephelus marginatus, Mycteroperca acutirostris, and M. bonaci) were studied by the geometric morphometric method of thin-plate splines and multivariate analysis of partial-warp scores. The decomposition of shape variation into uniform and nonaffine components of shape change indicate that major differences among species are related to both components of shape variation. Significant differences were found among species with respect to the uniform components, but there is no clear separation of taxonomic groups related to these components, and species are instead separated on the basis of body height and caudal peduncle length. Non-uniform changes in body shape, in turn, clearly differentiate the species of Serraninae and Epinephelinae. These shape changes are probably related to differences in habitat and feeding habits among the species.

The moving gardens: Reef fishes grazing, cleaning, and following green turtles in SW Atlantic

Reef fishes may associate with marine turtles and graze on their shells, or clean their head, neck and flippers. on a reef flat at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, SW Atlantic, we recorded green turtles (Chelonia mydas) grazed, cleaned and followed by reef fishes. The green turtle seeks specific sites on the reef and pose there for the grazers and/or cleaners. Fishes recorded associated to green turtles included omnivorous and herbivorous reef species such as the dam-selfish Abudefduf saxatilis and the surgeonfishes Acanthurus chirurgus and A. coeruleus. The turtle is followed by the wrasse Thalassoma noronhanum only while engaged in foraging bouts on benthic algae. Following behaviour is a previously unrecorded feeding association between turtles and fishes.

The cetacean offal connection: Feces and vomits of spinner dolphins as a food source for reef fishes

At Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, southwest Atlantic, reef fishes associated with spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were recorded when the cetaceans congregated in a shallow inlet. In the reef waters the dolphins engaged in several behaviors such as resting, aerial displays and other social interactions, as well as eliminative behaviors such as defecating and vomiting. Twelve fish species in seven families were recorded feeding on dolphin offal. The black durgon (Melichthys niger) was the most ubiquitous waste-eater, and its group size was positively and significantly correlated with dolphin group size. The durgons recognized the postures a dolphin adopts prior to defecating or vomiting, and began to converge to an individual shortly before it actually voided. Offal was quickly fed upon, and the fishes concentrated in the area occupied by the dolphins until the latter left the shallows. Since all the recorded offal-feeding species feed on plankton or drifting algae, feeding on cetacean droppings may be regarded as a switch from foraging on drifting organisms to foraging on drifting offal, a predictable food source in the inlet. Further instances of this cetacean-fish association are predicted to occur at sites where these mammals congregate over reefs with clear water and plankton-eating fishes.

Habits hidden underground: a review on the reproduction of the Amphisbaenia with notes on four neotropical species

We review the information currently available on the reproduction of the Amphisbaenia and provide original data on the reproductive biology of four Neotropical species: Amphisbaena alba; A. mertensi; Cercolophia roberti, and Leposternon infraorbitale. In total, we compiled data for 22 species: 17 Amphisbaenidae, 1 Rhineuridae, 3 Bipedidae, and 1 Trogonophidae. The majority of the species were oviparous with the exceptions of Loveridgea ionidesii, Monopeltis anchietae, M. capensis, and Trogonophis wiegmanni. Viviparity was interpreted as a derived trait that evolved independently for at least 3 times within the Amphisbaenia. In most species, reproduction is synchronized with the hot and rainy season and seems to vary with latitude. Although Amphisbaenia eggs have been found in ant nests, it remains disputable whether this is an obligatory or even a preferable location for egg-laying. Incubation time in A. mertensii lasts 59 days and this is the first report encompassing egg-laying to hatching for any Amphisbaenia species. Nonetheless, a two months incubation period seems to be the common rule for oviparous Amphisbaenia. The general pattern of reproductive output in Amphisbaenia is characterized by a low number of eggs/embryos per clutch whose individual size is comparatively large in relation to adult body size. Eggs are markedly elongated on the long axis and arranged in-line within the abdominal cavity possibly to prevent/diminish biomechanic drawbacks of egg bearing. Hatchlings of A. mertensi possess an egg-tooth implanted at the upper jaw, exhibit positive geotropism, and display defensive behaviors known to be present in adults. Our review shows that our current knowledge of Amphisbaenia reproduction is fragmentary, often based on the examination of small samples, and heavily dependent on the publication of anedoctal observations. Future publications on this subject are encouraged.

Population biology of Trichomycterus sp. (Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae) in Passa Cinco stream, Corumbataí River sub-basin, São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)