Diet and ecomorphology of Leporinus reticulatus (Characiformes: Anostomidae) from the upper Rio Juruena, MT, Brazil: ontogenetic shifts related to the feeding ecology

The conservation of diverse and well-distributed fish taxa, as the genus Leporinus, relies intrinsically on the knowledge of the ecological attributes of its representatives. Aiming to increase this knowledge, studies on diet and ecomorphology are ideal to provide important information about species ecology. Thus, this study aimed to analyze aspects of feeding ecology of L. reticulatus, from the upper Rio Juruena, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. The diet of specimens in different ontogenetic stages was compared, as well as their teeth morphology and ecomorphological attributes. Leporinus reticulatus presented omnivorous diet, with higher consumption of invertebrates by smaller specimens (younger ones), and gradual introduction of plant items in larger specimens (older ones). The items consumed by the individuals and the ecomorphological attributes indicated that the species is generalist and opportunistic, besides its association with the river bottom, evidencing a benthic feeding behavior. This species presents a gradual ontogenetic modification in teeth shape and mouth positioning, ranging from a terminal mouth with tricuspid teeth, in smaller specimens, to an inferior mouth with spatula shaped teeth with no cusps, in larger specimens.The ecomorphological attributes indicate an increasing swimming efficiency, and ability for performing vertical displacements, along the ontogenetic development, which in addition to the morphological ontogenetic alterations in the buccal apparatus, contributes to a better ability to explore another niches.

The effect of high-fat diet on rat’s mood, feeding behavior and response to stress

An association between obesity and depression has been indicated in studies addressing common physical (metabolic) and psychological (anxiety, low self-esteem) outcomes. Of consideration in both obesity and depression are chronic mild stressors to which individuals are exposed to on a daily basis. However, the response to stress is remarkably variable depending on numerous factors, such as the physical health and the mental state at the time of exposure. Here a chronic mild stress (CMS) protocol was used to assess the effect of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity on response to stress in a rat model. In addition to the development of metabolic complications, such as glucose intolerance, diet-induced obesity caused behavioral alterations. Specifically, animals fed on HFD displayed depressive- and anxious-like behaviors that were only present in the normal diet (ND) group upon exposure to CMS. Of notice, these mood impairments were not further aggravated when the HFD animals were exposed to CMS, which suggest a ceiling effect. Moreover, although there was a sudden drop of food consumption in the first 3 weeks of the CMS protocol in both ND and HFD groups, only the CMS-HFD displayed an overall noticeable decrease in total food intake during the 6 weeks of the CMS protocol. Altogether, the study suggests that HFD impacts on the response to CMS, which should be considered when addressing the consequences of obesity in behavior.

Precipitation of barium sulfate in a semi-batch stirred tank reactor : influence of feeding policy on particle size and morphology

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Verfahrens- und Systemtechnik, Diss., 2012

Non root feeding with two sources of zinc on Coffea arábica L. 'mundo novo'(B.Rodr.) Choussy

A trial was carried out on an eight old coffee plantation with visible zinc problems. The plantation was situated nearly the city of Jaú (22º30'S, 48º30'W). State of São Paulo, Brazil. The soil is classified as medium texture Oxisol of low base saturation (Latossol Vermelho Amarelo - fase arenosa). The pulverization program started in november 1977, followed in march and July 1978 (heavy harvest) and ended in march and July 1979 (light harvest). Is should be mentioned that a well reconized characteristic of arábica coffe is its habit of biennial bearing, a very heavy harvest is most often followed by a light load the next year. The following treatments and amounts of chemicals per cova hole (4 trees) were tested in accordance with a random block design: 1. 1 g of zinc (zinc sulphate, 0.5%) 2. 3 g of nitrogen (urea, 1.3%) 3. 1 g of zinc + 3 g of nitrogen (zinc sulphate 0.5% + urea 1.3%) 4. 0.25 g, 0.50 g, 1.00 g, 2.00 g of zinc plus 0.75 g, 1.50 g, 3.00 g and 6.00 of nitrogen (correspondent to NZN* 15-0-0-5 as 0.75%, 1-5%, 3.0% and 6.0% by v/v). Foliar absorption data were obtained by collecting the 3rd and 4th pairs of the coffee leaves and analysed them for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn. The main results may be summarized as follows: 1. The maximum calculated yields of clean coffee were obtained by the applications of 5.84 1 of NZN (1.13%) per hectare. 2. The applications of zinc sulphate (0.5%) and urea (1.3%) together or separate did not affected the coffee bean production. 3. The applications of 15.0 1 of NZN per hectare reduced the coffee yields. 4. Leaf damages and burning symptoms were observed by the applications of urea (1.3%) plus zinc sulphate (0.5%) and larger doses than 7.5 1 of NZN per hectare. 5. Leaf tissue analysis show that the concentrations of the elements were affecred by the age of the leaves and by the yields of the coffee trees. 6. The applications of increasing doses of NZN causes an increase in the concentration of zinc, manganese and boron in the leaves and decreased the concentration in calcium and potassium the leaves. 7. The concentration of zinc in the leaves associated with the heavy harvest, in July, was 70.0 ppm.

Diet, feeding behavior, growth, and numbers of a population of Cerberus rynchops (Serpentes: Homalopsinae) in Malaysia / Bruce C. Jayne, Harold K. Voris, Kiew Bong Heang.

n.s. no.50(1988)

Social feeding behavior of birds.

v.36:no.1(1954)

Feeding of two Cichlidae species (Perciformes) in an hypertrophic urban lake

Diet of two cichlid species, Cichlasoma facetum (Jenyns, 1842), and Gymnogeophagus rhabdotus Hensel, 1870, was studied in Rodó Lake, an urban hypertrophic lake in Uruguay. The stomach contents from 192 individuals of C. facetum and 202 of G. rhabdotus, obtained through seasonal sampling in the year 2000, were analyzed. The occurrence frequency and the alimentary importance index of each food item were calculated for each season and size class in both species. Cichlasoma facetum fed upon insects (mainly chironomid larvae and pupae), fish (Cnesterodon decemmaculatus Jenyns, 1842), and vegetals (algae, periphyton and macrophytes debris); large individuals also fed upon the freshwater shrimp Palaemonetes argentinus Nobili, 1901. Gymnogeophagus rhabdotus consumed zooplankton (mainly copepods), vegetals (algae and detritus) and Chironomidae larvae in a lesser extent.

Feeding habits of six anuran (Amphibia: Anura) species in a rainforest fragment in Northeastern Brazil

Although Brazil encompasses one of the most abundant anuran faunas in the world, quantitative information on anuran ecology and diet are limited, especially in the Northeastern region. We analyzed the diet of six species: Hyla albomarginata, Hyla cf. branneri, Hyla minuta, Phyllomedusa aff. hypochondrialis (Hylidae), Leptodactylus natalensis, and Physalaemus cuvieri (Leptodactylidae) in a temporary pond in a rainforest remnant in Pernambuco, between 1999-2000. We analyzed diet composition, degree of food preference, and seasonal variations in diet. Leptodactylus natalensis and P. cuvieri showed higher diet diversity, whereas H. minuta consumed fewer food items. Insecta, Arachnida, and plants were preferential items for most species. Acari were consumed by all species; Hymenoptera, Odonata, and Coleoptera were also often consumed. A slight increase in diet diversity occurred in the rainy season. The species showed a generalist feeding behaviour, although P. cuvieri consumed Formicidae as major prey item.

Feeding ecology in the small neotropical amphisbaenid Amphisbaena munoai (Amphisbaenidae) in southern Brazil

We analyzed the alimentary tract of 66 specimens of Amphisbaena munoai Klappenbach, 1969 from the Serra do Sudeste, state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Forty specimens (60.6%) had prey items in their gut. The diet consisted mainly of small invertebrate prey, such as termites, insect larvae and ants. The most abundant prey item was termites, found in 62.5% of the non empty stomachs. The high number of individual prey items in the majority of stomachs, the small size of the regular prey items, and the absence of gut content in specimens of A. munoai kept alive for about two days, indicate that this species forages very frequently. The predominance of fossorial prey items and the occasional records of nomadic ants lead us to suggest that A. munoai usually feeds underground, and occasionally forages on the surface.

Feeding of Pellona flavipinnis (Clupeiformes, Pristigasteridae)in a Central Amazonian floodplain

The feeding habits of Pellona flavipinnis (Valenciennes, 1836) at Catalão, a floodplain area on the Brazilian Central Amazon was studied. Data was obtained during three hydrological cycles, between September 1999 and September 2003. Diet composition, daily and seasonal variation in the feeding activity and the relationship between predator's size and its prey were analyzed. Almost 80% of the food consumed has autochthonous origin and diet was composed basically by insects and fish. Juvenile fish predominated in the stomach contents of all size classes but there was no significant relationship between predator's size and its prey. Pellona flavipinnis may be considered a carnivorous species which feeds mainly on juvenile (young-of-the-year) specimens of other fish. More intense feeding activity occurred at night and in the high water period.

Feeding ecology of Ozotoceros bezoarticus: conservation implicationsin Uruguay

The pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus Linnaeus, 1758) was in the recent past one of the most characteristic species in the Uruguayan grasslands. However, today the species is very rare, with small relict populations inhabiting in few ranches. To improve our understanding of pampas deer habitat use in modified ecosystems and propose management guidelines we analyzed the pampas deer feeding ecology at Los Ajos ranch. We performed an annual vegetation survey with the purpose to identify the main components of pampas's deer diet and the spatial overlap with livestock. Vegetation offer was characterized by predominance of monocotyledon plants; in three of the four sample periods. The preference values for the crops were positive for ryegrass in winter (0.24) and spring (0.54), the moments of greatest productivity of this pasture; while the rice crops values were negative all year round. The spatial overlap indexes with sheep show a complete exclusion, whereas with cattle the indexes gave values of 0.95 in spring to 0.14 in summer. The niche amplitude was significantly correlated with the spatial overlap levels with cattle. Pampas deer foraging behaviour is opportunistic, typical of mixed feeders. Conservation efforts should focus on implementation of management guidelines of agriculture and cattle breeding activities.

Feeding ecology of Pterodoras granulosus (Siluriformes, Doradidae) in the Lajeado Reservoir, Tocantins, Brazil

The diet and feeding habits of armado catfish, Pterodoras granulosus (Valenciennes, 1821), were studied in the Lajeado Reservoir, Tocantins, Brazil, and the mouth of its tributaries. Stomach contents of 327 specimens were analyzed by the percentage composition and volumetric methods. The feeding of armado on a wide variety of foods, including both animal and plant items, leads to its classification as a euriphagic species with herbivorous tendency. However, it should be noted that armado showed a strong ontogenetic diet shift, with the gradual replacement of detritus and sediment by plant items, especially terrestrial ones. The environmental use pattern of P. granulosus corroborates the ontogenetic shift observed in its diet. Small fish predominated mainly in the benthic region and detritus and sediment represented an important resource, whereas large fish fed mainly on terrestrial plants, as they explore open water sites and the surface of the water column.

Freshwater sponges (Porifera, Demospongiae) in a benthic filter feeding community at the Guanacaste Dry Forest, Costa Rica

The freshwater sponges Trochospongilla variabilis Bonetto & Ezcurra de Drago (1973), Radiospongilla crateriformis (Potts, 1882), Spongilla cenota Penney & Racek (1968) and Corvoheteromeyenia heterosclera (Ezcurra de Drago, 1974) compose with the sphaerid bivalve Eupera cubensis (Prime, 1865) and several Phylactolaemata bryozoans a benthic filter feeding community living in seasonal lentic and lotic habitats with high Particulate Organic Carbon (POC), low conductivity and acid pH within the Costa Rica Dry Forest biome. The sponge specimens gathered led to the re-description of the four species.

Reproduction and feeding ecology of Amphisbaena munoai and Anops kingi (Amphisbaenia, Amphisbaenidae) in the Escudo Sul-Rio-Grandense, southern Brazil

This study presents original data on the reproduction and feeding ecology of two syntopic amphisbaenians, Amphisbaena munoai Klappenbach, 1969 and Anops kingi Bell, 1833, from southern Brazil. Sampling was carried out from April 2004 to April 2006 at a highland area located in São Jerônimo and Barão do Triunfo municipalities, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A total of 647 amphisbaenians were collected, 510 specimens of A. munoai and 137 specimens of A. kingi, of which 130 and 93, respectively, had their gonads and gut content analyzed. Both species presented a unimodal pattern of seasonal distribution, sexually mature females with significantly larger snout vent length (SVL) than sexually mature males, and seasonal reproductive cycle. Adults of A. kingi had significantly larger (SVL) than those of Amphisbaena munoai. Both species had generalist diets, but termites (Isoptera) was a staple item in their diet. Greater predominance of insect larvae was observed in the diet of A. kingi, which may be due to its larger body in comparison to A. munoai. Insect larvae ingested by A. kingi were significantly larger than those ingested by A. munoai. Diets of adult males and females of both species were not significantly different. The ontogenetic diet comparison in both species revealed significant numerical differences, with adults consuming higher numbers of prey.

Diet and functional feeding groups of Chironomidae (Diptera) in the Middle Paraná River floodplain (Argentina)

The gut contents of nine genera of benthic Chironominae and Tanypodinae from the Middle Paraná River floodplain habitats (a lake and a secondary channel) were analyzed to determine their feeding patterns and functional feeding groups. Amorphous detritus, animal and vegetal tissues, and mineral materials (predominantly sand) were observed in the larval guts. Amorphous detritus were the main food item found for Polypedilum (Tripodura) sp., Chironomus gr. decorus sp., Endotribelos sp., Phaenopsectra sp., Cladopelma sp., and Pelomus sp. (Chironominae), while animal tissues (mainly oligochaetes) were the most important food item found for Ablabesmyia (Karelia) sp., Coelotanypus sp., and Procladius sp. (Tanypodinae). Dietary overlap was calculated for all pairs of genera. Within predators, the highest overlap was obtained between Coelotanypus sp. and Ablabesmyia (Karelia) sp., while within detritivores the highest niche overlap was obtained between Endotribelos sp. and Phaenopsectra sp.