Effects of long and short flooding years on the feeding ecology of piscivorous fish in floodplain river systems

Abstract

Floodplain river systems are extremely dynamic environments, where alternating dry and flooded periods affect the availability of food resources for fish. For piscivores, during drought years, a decreased availability of prey is expected, resulting in diets dominated by fewer items, narrower trophic niches with high dietary overlap. During floods, habitats become more similar, and, combined with increased connectivity, provide a wider diversity of prey to piscivores, decreasing dietary overlap and presenting wider trophic niches. This study aimed to evaluate the potential impacts of long periods of flooding on the trophic ecology of nine piscivorous fish in the upper Parana River basin. In drought years, diets were dominated by small characids, presenting narrower niches with higher dietary overlap. The opposite situation was observed during wet years, with different species responses, likely due to species-specific feeding strategies. High niche overlap was observed between native and non-native species, suggesting competition. The inclusion of non-native species in the native piscivorous diet is a concerning fact, as its causes and possible impacts are still unknown. In conclusion, long flooding pulses affect the diets of piscivorous fish in different ways by either increasing or decreasing niche breadth and overlap according to species-specific characteristics.