Abstract

VERA ARABE, Adrián; OYAGUE PASSUNI, Eduardo; CASTANEDA CORDOVA, Liz  and  QUINTEROS CARLOS, Zulema. Feeding habits of the catfish Trichomycterus punctulatus (Valenciennes, 1846) (Actinopterygii, Siluriformes) from Pisco River, Perú. Ecol. apl. [online]. 2013, vol.12, n.2, pp.121-131. ISSN 1726-2216.

Trichomycterus punctulatus is an endemic benthopelagic freshwater catfish found in the western systems of Peru; it is a predator and as such is a good integrator of ecological information. The information generated from this species will improve a better understanding of community structure and promote its conservation and management. Feeding habits of T. punctulatus were determined by analyzing the stomach contents of 127 individuals collected in two seasons: dry (August, 2010) and wet (May, 2011), in three sectors (6 sampling stations) of the Pisco river middle basin. Feeding items were set at the family level, and the Index of Relative Importance (IRI) and the Index of Numerical Importance (INI) were calculated. It was found out that T. punctulatus mainly consumes individuals from the Chironomidae, Hydropsychidae and Leptohyphidae families during the dry season; whereas in the wet season, it consumes individuals from the Chironomidae and Elmidae families. Using the linear food selection index (L), it was determined that T. punctulatus is not an active selector, being rather opportunistic. The graphical method of Cortés (1997), determined that the feeding strategy of T. punctulatus is a generalist. Finally with a Kruskal-Wallis analysis, it was determined that there are changes in feeding habits within basin sectors and among dry and wet seasons.

Keywords : Trichomycterus punctulatus; diet; selectivity; feeding strategy; Pisco river.

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