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The influence of size on the trophic interactions between juveniles of two syntopic Trachinotus species

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 July 2020

Joice Silva de Souza Open the ORCID record for Joice Silva de Souza [Opens in a new window]  and
Luciano Neves dos Santos
Joice Silva de Souza*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Theoretical and Applied Ichthyology (LICTA), Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Av. Pasteur, 458 – R314A, CEP 22290-240, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Graduate course in Ecology and Evolution (PPGEE), Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), São Francisco Xavier St, 524 – PHLC/R220, CEP 20550-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Luciano Neves dos Santos
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Theoretical and Applied Ichthyology (LICTA), Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Av. Pasteur, 458 – R314A, CEP 22290-240, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Graduate course in Ecology and Evolution (PPGEE), Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), São Francisco Xavier St, 524 – PHLC/R220, CEP 20550-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
*
Author for correspondence: Joice Silva de Souza, E-mail: joiceess@gmail.com
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Abstract

Syntopic species with similar anatomic configuration may face strong competition for trophic resources, thus relying on developed mechanisms to ensure coexistence. The present study investigated the influence of body size on trophic interactions between juveniles of two closely related fish species at three sandy beaches in south-eastern Brazil. A total of 150 fish were sampled, where 103 were identified as Trachinotus carolinus (mean ± SE: weight = 9 g ± 1.13) and 47 as Trachinotus goodei (weight = 46.7 g ± 3.34). A significant size-difference between juvenile Trachinotus was detected by a null-model analysis (P = 0.04), with T. carolinus (TL = 79.6 mm ± 2.4) presenting a smaller body size than T. goodei (TL = 147.7 mm ± 4.2). The main prey items consumed by T. carolinus were Perna perna (IAi = 0.76) and Emerita brasiliensis (IAi = 0.18), whereas the latter was the major T. goodei dietary prey (IAi = 0.71). Both prey were correlated with larger-sized juveniles of each pompano species, whereas smaller fish shared non-preferred trophic items. Such opportunistic behaviour of smaller juveniles may account for the dietary overlap detected between the Trachinotus species (P = 0.09). Size-related dietary partitioning was observed for the largest T. goodei juveniles, which displayed only a slight overlap with T. carolinus, and between juveniles belonging to the small and medium size groups of each pompano species. Therefore, food partitioning related to pompano body size seems to be especially important for the smallest juveniles, as they present the highest vacuity (particularly T. carolinus) in the sampled beaches, suggesting that these individuals are under intra- and interspecific competitive pressure, which may affect local coexistence.

Keywords

Feeding nicheGuanabara Bayniche overlapnull-modelpompanosize ratio
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 100 , Issue 4 , June 2020 , pp. 595 - 605
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2020

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