Use of trophic ecology of omnivorous fish and abiotic factors as supporting tools for assessing environmental impacts in a neotropical river

Abstract

AbstractThe study of diet is one of the mechanisms by which competition for resources between species that cohabit in the same ecosystem can be inferred. Therefore, the relationships of the indices that measure specialization in the diet of fish species are necessary to characterize the nutritional quality of these populations and the ecosystem's environmental health. Three species of catfish were selected: one invasive (Clarias gariepinus) and two natives (Trachelyopterus striatulus and Rhamdia quelen), with similar distribution along the Guapi‐Macacu River, in the Guapimirim Protection Area (Rio de Janeiro). Fifty‐nine catfish of the three species were collected in total, along 32 collection points in the Guapi‐Macacu River in two periods (dry and rainy) in 2018. Non‐parametric statistics showed the partition of resources between species and the influence of abiotic factors (temperature, pH, transparency, and dissolved oxygen) contributing to the selection of available resources in the environment. Diet‐related indices—repletion index (RI), condition factor (K), niche width, and trophic position (TP) of the specimens collected—contributed to measuring the nutritional status of each of these catfish species, showing that R. quelen has a relationship between RI and K, tending to absorb and metabolize nutrients faster than other species. In addition, the invasive species occupies a wide range of TPs compared to native species, confirming its feeding plasticity. On the contrary, T. striatulus needs large amounts of terrestrial insects to maintain its poor condition factor. Also, the RI showed direct influences of abiotic variables, with the temperature being the most prominent. Our results suggest that the invasive species can benefit from this environment that shows signs of environmental degradation.