Order Characiformes Research Articles

Gape size influences seasonal patterns of piscivore diets in three Neotropical rivers

We examined diets of four piscivores, two in the order Perciformes (Cichla temensis and C. orinocensis) and two in the order Characiformes (Boulengerella cuvieri and B. lucius), from the Cinaruco, La Guardia, and Ventuari rivers in Venezuela throughout the wet-dry seasonal cycle. The four piscivores consumed a phylogenetically and morphologically diverse group of fishes, reflecting the overall diversity of fish species in these rivers. At the start of the falling-water period, Cichla consumed large prey, especially the abundant, migratory, fish of the genus Semaprochilodus. As these relatively large prey became depleted during the dry season, Cichla tended to consume smaller prey. For Boulengerella, gape limitation precluded consumption of larger, seasonally abundant, fishes, and so prey sizes were more consistent throughout the seasonal cycle. Our findings show how prey abundance and gape limitations interact to influence seasonal patterns of predator-prey interactions.

The fish fauna of the Jacaré-Guaçu River basin, Upper Paraná River basin

This study aimed to evaluate the fish fauna composition and distribution in different environments, up- and downstream the Gavião Peixoto Dam, in the Jacaré-Guaçu River basin. Most of the sampled ichthyofauna is autochthonous, and the majority of the species belongs to the orders Characiformes and Siluriformes. The order Characiformes comprised most of the specimens caught, Astyanax altiparanae being the most abundant species. All the studied environments were characterized by the massive occurrence of accidental species and low similarity between their ichthyofauna. In general, a greater number of species and higher values of the diversity index were observed downstream of the dam. The fish diversity in the studied habitats was positively correlated with the water body depth, and negatively correlated with the water conductivity. This last correlation may be an indicative of the negative influence of the pollution of the Jacaré-Guaçu basin on the local fish fauna.

Reproductive characteristics of characid fish species (Teleostei, Characiformes) and their relationship with body size and phylogeny

In this study, I investigated the reproductive biology of fish species from the family Characidae of the order Characiformes. I also investigated the relationship between reproductive biology and body weight and interpreted this relationship in a phylogenetic context. The results of the present study contribute to the understanding of the evolution of the reproductive strategies present in the species of this family. Most larger characid species and other characiforms exhibit a reproductive pattern that is generally characterized by a short seasonal reproductive period that lasts one to three months, between September and April. This is accompanied by total spawning, an extremely high fecundity, and, in many species, a reproductive migration. Many species with lower fecundity exhibit some form of parental care. Although reduction in body size may represent an adaptive advantage, it may also require evolutionary responses to new biological problems that arise. In terms of reproduction, smaller species have a tendency to reduce the number of oocytes that they produce. Many small characids have a reproductive pattern similar to that of larger characiforms. On the other hand they may also exhibit a range of modifications that possibly relate to the decrease in body size and the consequent reduction in fecundity. Examples of changes in the general reproductive pattern include the following: reduction in the size of mature oocytes; increase in fecundity; production of several batches of oocytes; an extended reproductive period or even continuous reproduction that allows individuals to reproduce more than once a year; high growth rates; rapid recruitment of juveniles; presence of more than one reproductive cohort that increases the sexually active population; and multiple independent development of insemination as a reproductive strategy. These changes are possibly associated with adaptive pressures that are related to the reduction in body size. In addition, such reproductive characteristics or novelties may reflect the phylogenetic history of a given species.

Estrutura da assembléia de peixes de uma lagoa marginal desconectada do rio, no submédio Rio São Francisco, Pernambuco

Foram realizadas coletas utilizando vários apetrechos de pesca, entre os meses de março/07 e fevereiro/08, na lagoa Curralinho, uma lagoa marginal no trecho submédio do rio São Francisco, com o objetivo de avaliar a composição ictiofaunística após seu isolamento da calha principal do rio e deplecionamento de água. Foi coletado um total de 4.638 espécimes, com uma biomassa de 129.782,84 g, distribuídos em 16 famílias e 47 espécies das ordens Characiformes, Cyprinodontiformes, Siluriformes, Perciformes, Gymnotiformes e Clupeiformes. Observou-se que os Characiformes foram os mais abundantes, com 87,3% dos exemplares de pequeno (<100 mm) e médio porte (<200 mm). Dentre as espécies encontradas, 26,7% são constantes, 35,6% acessórias e 37,8% acidentais. Characidae concentra a maioria das espécies e indivíduos, seguida de Acestrorhynchidae. Moenkhausia costae, Triportheus guentheri, Pygocentrus piraya e Prochilodus argenteus apresentaram constância de 100%. Invertívoros e piscívoros dominaram quantitativamente e sua biomassa indica um domínio de predadores, tendo os detritívoros apresentado a segunda maior biomassa. Houve uma predominância de espécies sedentárias, com poucos exemplares de espécies migradoras, das famílias Anostomidae e Prochilodontidae e Salminus franciscanus. A riqueza, diversidade e eqüitabilidade apresentaram-se relativamente altas durante todo o período de estudo. Pode-se concluir que a lagoa Curralinho é um importante ambiente de abrigo, alimentação e descanso para a ictiofauna, mantendo peixes forrageiros que servem de base para a cadeia trófica e a sustentação pesqueira. Em vista disso, faz-se necessário o desenvolvimento de políticas ambientais e práticas de manejo que preservem a integridade desses habitats e a funcionalidade de seu papel na conservação da ictiodiversidade deste trecho da bacia do São Francisco.

Fish, Passa Cinco stream, Corumbataí River basin, state of São Paulo, Brazil

The fishes of the present study were collected in Passa Cinco stream, a main river of Corumbataí River basin, Tietê drainage. Five sites were selected in that stream, downstream from headwater to its mouth, and six samplings were performed using the following fishery equipment: a sieve, electric fishery equipment, gill nets and fish-traps. 5082 individuals, 62 species, 18 families and 6 orders were captured. The orders Characiformes and Siluriformes were the most representative and the families Characidae and Loricariidae presented the largest in number of species.

Phylogenetic assessment of ultrastructural and histological characters of teeth in the Anostomoidea, Hemiodontidae and Parodontidae (Teleostei: Ostariophysi: Characiformes)

The ultrastructure and histology of teeth of members of the order Characiformes, in conjunction with the examination of cleared and stained sections and teeth, revealed characters pertinent to understanding the relationships among the Anostomoidea (Curimatidae, Prochilodontidae, Anostomidae, and Chilodontidae), Hemiodontidae, and Parodontidae. The superimposition of these characters onto cladograms of Characiform phylogeny based on morphological and molecular characters confirmed the monophyly of the Anostomoidea, but resulted in conflicting interpretations concerning the relationships of the Hemiodontidae and Parodontidae.

B chromosomes: an update about their occurrence in freshwater Neotropical fishes (Teleostei)

In freshwater Neotropical fishes, supernumerary chromosomes or B chromosomes have been found in 61 species so far, distributed in 16 families of seven different orders and in distinct hydrographic basins. The order Characiformes is the one that possesses the most species with these chromosomes, including 31 species from six different families. The order Siluriformes has 21 species from five families, with Rhamdia, of the family Heptapteridae, being the most common genus where these chromosomes are found. The order Perciformes has five species with B chromosomes in only one family, Cichlidae, and the orders Beloniformes, Cyprinodontiformes, Gymnotiformes and Synbranchiformes contain only one species each with extra chromosomes. They are found as microchromosomes in Schizodon, Astyanax, Moenkhausia, Cyphocharax, Steindachnerina, Prochilodus, Rhamdia, Iheringichthys and Loricaria, among others, up to supernumerary macrochromosomes as in Astyanax, varying in morphology as well as number, showing evidence of the wide diversity of B chromosomes in Neotropical fishes.

Composição da ictiofauna do rio Quilombo, tributário do rio Mogi-Guaçu, bacia do alto rio Paraná, sudeste do Brasil

Um estudo sobre a composição ictiofaunística do rio Quilombo foi realizado com o intuito de identificar quais espécies de peixes habitam a bacia, com que freqüência tais espécies são encontradas e verificar variações na distribuição longitudinal desta ictiofauna. Foram demarcados quatro pontos de coletas distribuídos na bacia, os quais foram visitados 21 vezes ao longo de um ano e dez meses (entre setembro de 2003 e junho de 2005), abrangendo os períodos seco e úmido que ocorrem anualmente na região estudada. Para coleta dos peixes foram utilizadas diferentes artes de pesca: tarrafas, redes de espera, rede de arrasto, peneiras, linha e anzol. Os peixes foram fixados em formalina 10%, conservados em etanol 70%, identificados e encontram-se depositados na coleção de peixes do Laboratório de Ictiologia Sistemática do Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva da UFSCar. Foram coletados 2982 exemplares, os quais estão divididos em 6 ordens, 19 famílias, 52 gêneros e 68 espécies. As ordens Characiformes (57,3%) e Siluriformes (30,9%) tiveram maior participação no total de espécies em relação às ordens Gymnotiformes, Cyprinodontiformes, Perciformes e Synbranchiformes, que juntas somaram 11,8% da riqueza. A análise da constância permitiu verificar que a composição da ictiofauna desse rio variou ao longo do período, principalmente nos trechos médio e inferior. O índice de similaridade (Jaccard) evidenciou que os conjuntos de espécies são diferentes entre os pontos de coleta, mostrando particularidades em cada um deles.

Ichthyofauna of two streams in the high basin of the Samborombón River, Buenos Aires province, Argentina

The ichthyofauna of the Manantiales (35°02’34”S; 58°19’37”W) and El Portugues (35°04’16”S; 58°26’09”W) streams, both of them pertaining to the high basin of the Samborombon River, in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was studied. Abundance, specific richness, diversity and temporary distribution were considered throughout an annual cycle. The specific diversity between both streams was compared and the physical and chemical parameters of the environment analizad. In total 8595 specimens were captured, pertaining to 20 species, 11 families and 5 orders. The order Characiformes was the most widely represented with 10 species and a relative abundance of 50%, followed by the order Siluriformes with 6 species and a relative abundance of 30%. The specific richness in the Manantiales was of 20 species, the annual diversity index was 1.42 and the uniformity index was 0.58. The specific richness in El Portugues was of 17 species, the annual diversity index was 1.51 and the uniformity index was 0.64. Differences in the composition of dominant species were observed. The diversity values are similar to that recorded in Pampasia and southern Brazil streams.

Cretaceous characiform fishes (Teleostei: Ostariophysi) from Northern Tethys: description of new material from the Maastrichtian of Provence (Southern France) and palaeobiogeographical implications

Abstract The order Characiformes (Teleostei: Otophysi) is one of the most diverse freshwater fish groups. It contains around 1400 living species in South and Central America and Africa. Their fossil record starts in the Cretaceous on both continents and also in Europe. Here, we describe and discuss the occurrences of new characiform fish teeth from Provence (Maastrichtian, S. France). Five morphological types are recognized. They belong to possibly three different taxa, and they are regarded as Characiformes indet. However, two of them have resemblances to alestin fishes and could be related to the African family Alestidae. The characiform fishes from Provence are among the oldest known in Europe, together with a freshwater characiform fish occurring in Romania, and the recently described marine fish Sorbinicharax from Italy. The biogeographical history of characiform fishes has been intensively discussed during the last three decades. The group is generally accepted to be Gondwanan and its diversification linked with the break-up of this continent, with two main scenarios depending on whether the group is archaeo- or telolimnic. Some authors also propose a Pangaean origin. The recent discoveries of Sorbinicharax and of the fossils from Provence change our view on the Cretaceous characiform diversity and their early ecology, and they also enable us to re-evaluate the proposed biogeographical scenarios, reinforcing the hypothesis of the telolimny of the group.

Developmental and morphological variation in the teleost craniofacial skeleton reveals an unusual mode of ossification

We investigated the morphology and development of the scleral ossicles within the eyes of three species from three basal teleost orders, namely, the alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus; Clupeiformes), the surface morph of the Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus; Characiformes) and zebrafish (Danio rerio; Cypriniformes). Two morphologies, circular and elongated, and one variation, fused elements, were identified. Zebrafish have small circular ossicles, whereas the alewife and the Mexican tetra have elongated ossicles. Surprisingly in the Mexican tetra these elements fuse at one end forming a continuous element with an antero-ventral opening; this may be typical for the Order Characiformes. Regardless of morphology, the ossicles develop via unilateral perichondral ossification of the scleral cartilage from two centers opposite one another in the eye. This unilateral type of ossification, in which only the perichondrium furthest from the retina contributes to the ossicles, has not previously been reported in any vertebrate. Because either the perichondrium and/or an extension of the perichondrium can transform into the scleral ossicle, we refer to the transitional tissue as periskeletal. Although the functional significance of the different shaped ossicles is unclear, skeletal muscle attaches directly to these bones, implying voluntary control. The morphological and developmental variation of teleost scleral ossicles makes them an ideal system for determining the genetic basis underlying phenotypic variation as well as for studying mechanisms underlying osteogenic and chondrogenic processes in teleosts. These data support our previous finding that scleral ossicles in teleosts may not be homologous to those in other vertebrates, such as reptiles.

Fish, Taquara river basin, northern of the state of Paraná, Brazil

Taquara River is situated in an agriculturist region, on the northern portion of the Tibagi river basin, state of Paraná. Fish fauna was collected in five stretches of the Taquara River and in nine headwaters of its tributaries, in the period of May to December 2006. Six orders, 22 families, and 74 species were collected, in a sum of 2,389 individuals. The orders Characiformes and Siluriformes were dominant.

Sonic Motor Pathways in Piranhas with a Reassessment of Phylogenetic Patterns of Sonic Mechanisms among Teleosts

Sound production has evolved independently a number of times among teleost fishes. In most cases, sound is generated by fast contracting muscles that vibrate the swim bladder by way of their direct attachment (intrinsic muscles) or indirectly by way of other skeletal elements (extrinsic muscles). This study focuses on the red and black piranha, Pygocentrus nattereri and Serrasalmus rhombeus (superorder Ostariophysi, Order Characiformes), that have extrinsic swim bladder sonic muscles innervated by the third and fourth spinal nerves. This innervation pattern diverges from that found in most teleosts, including the closely related catfishes (Ostariophysi, Siluriformes), where sonic muscles are innervated by ventral occipital nerve roots that arise just caudal to the vagus nerve. Here, we tested the hypothesis that piranhas would also differ from most other teleosts in the location of their sonic motor neurons. Following biotin labeling of branches of the third and fourth spinal nerves that innervate the sonic muscles in the red and black piranha, sonic motor neurons were identified amongst other non-sonic motor neurons in the central part of the spinal cord, slightly ventrolateral to the central canal. To our knowledge, this is the first example of sonic motor neurons positioned entirely within the spinal cord. In the other species so far studied, sonic motor neurons form well-defined nuclei that extend from far caudal levels of the medulla into the rostral spinal cord and are located either within the ventral motor column or near the midline, close to or just ventrolateral to the fourth ventricle and central canal. A piranha-like pattern may be more widespread among characiforms and is likely present in other teleost orders, e.g., Sciaenidae (drumfishes), that also have sonic muscles innervated by spinal nerves.

Riffle and pool fish communities in a large stream of southeastern Brazil

The structure of the fish communities of a pool and a rapid in the ribeirão Santa Bárbara is described. This stream of 5th order is a direct tributary of the rio Tietê in the system of the upper rio Paraná. Thirty three species, from nine families and three orders, were referred in the two mesohabitats: the pool with 31 species, and the rapid with 18. Orders Characiformes, Siluriformes, and Perciformes presented the greatest number of species in the two mesohabitats. The families Characidae and Loricariidae were the most specious, followed by Cichlidae in the pool, and by Parodontidae in the rapid. Most species were accidental, 17 in the pool, and 10 in the rapid, and only six were constant in the two mesohabitats. The greatest diversity and evenness occurred in the pool. The seasonal variation for both assemblages was high, with the pool having a high turnover of species that could be due to the proximity with main channel of the rio Tietê.

Cavefish

What are cavefish? Like other cave-dwelling animals, fish that live in caves have often lost their eyes and body colour, but the evolutionary mechanisms underlying these reductions are unknown. There are 86 species of cavefish that belong to 18 different families, and many of them have lost their eyes independently. Comparing cavefish to their free-living ancestors can thus help us understand convergent evolution. However, the ancestors of most cave species are already extinct, with the notable exception of the Mexican Blind Cavefish. What is the Mexican Blind Cavefish? In 1819, the French anatomist Georges Cuvier described the Mexican tetra (Astyanax fasciatus mexicanus). Astyanax belongs to the teleost order Characiformes, which also includes the piranha, the neon tetra or the pencil fish. What is so special about them?Astyanax comprises both eyed, surface-dwelling and eyeless, cave-dwelling populations. Each cavefish population shows a different degree of eye and pigment degeneration. Recent data indicate that some cavefish populations independently evolved from eyed surface fish at different times. Why are they blind? One hypothesis is that losing the eyes could have selective advantages for living in a cave. Darwin thought that reduced eye size and covering the eye with a flap of skin could be advantageous by preventing inflammation and diseases. Others have proposed that eye loss is economical, because the visual system consumes a lot of energy. An alternative explanation suggests that mutations have accumulated in genes required for eye formation, because selection on the visual system is relaxed in darkness. There is also the possibility of an evolutionary trade-off, such that functional eyes were sacrificed to allow the development of more ‘useful’ characters, such as more taste buds and an enhanced lateral line system. What about the other senses? Cavefish have evolved enhanced chemo- and mechanosensory systems. Extra taste buds help them find food more quickly in complete darkness. Their enhanced mechanosensory lateral line system helps them to perceive their environment. These enhanced senses also might have aided the fish in maintaining their complex spawning dance in darkness. How did they lose their eyes? The signaling molecule sonic hedgehog (Shh) is involved in eye, jaw, and taste bud development in the Mexican cavefish. During embryonic development, Shh expression is expanded in the cavefish compared to surface fish, causing eye degeneration and an increase in the number of taste buds. This pleiotropic effect supports the trade-off theory. How did they lose their color? It has been proposed that the loss of dark pigment cells is a consequence of the accumulation of neutral mutations under relaxed selection. A recent study has shown that independently evolved Astyanax cave populations have retained pigment cell precursors but cannot synthesize the pigment, possibly due to damage of the same pigment-synthesizing pathway. Do cavefish sleep at night? The sleeping behavior of cavefish is less obvious than that of their surface relatives, but in the lab they are less active at night. Their pineal organ is functional and can detect light. Although cavefish seem to have a circadian rhythm in the lab, it is not clear if they have a daily rhythm in a dark cave. Is there a cavefish genome project? Not yet, but comparing the genomes of cavefish and surface fish might reveal the causes and consequences of microevolutionary change at the genetic level as well as mechanisms of convergent evolution. A genome project could also help understanding macroevolution. While Astyanax has a ‘generalized’ body shape, its relatives, e.g. piranhas, have evolved a variety of unique morphological characters.

Gene mapping of 5S rDNA sites in eight fish species from the Paraíba do Sul river basin, Brazil

The use of improved cytogenetic techniques such as fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) has offered important methodologies for cytotaxonomic and evolutionary studies. In particular, the mapping of 5S rDNA sites has proved to be an excellent marker in the study of different organisms and, more recently, in fish. In the present work, the FISH technique was used to map the 5S rDNA sites in the chromosomes of eight neotropical fish species from the Paraíba do Sul river basin, four of these belonging to the order Characiformes, family Characidae, genus Astyanax (A. scabripinnis, A. parahybae, A. giton and A. intermedius) and four to the order Siluriformes, family Loricariidae (Neoplecostomus microps, Harttia loricariformis, Hypostomus affinis and Upsilodus sp.). Karyotype evolution aspects of the analyzed groups are discussed.

Chirocentrodon bleekerianus (Teleostei: Clupeiformes: Pristigasteridae), a small predaceous herring with folded and distinctively oriented prey in stomach.

Predaceous fish-eating species of the order Clupeiformes have a large mouth with well-developed teeth, and reach the greatest sizes within their families (up to 90 cm). We found that the pristigasterid Chirocentrodon bleekerianus, a small clupeiform (about 10 cm) from the tropical SW Atlantic, is able to prey on proportionally large clupeoid fishes and caridean shrimps. Fish preys are folded in the stomach of this herring, their heads and tails pointing toward the predator's head. This distinctive orientation of fish prey is also recorded for some small to medium-sized, fish-eating species of the tropical freshwater order Characiformes with canine-like teeth similar to those found in C. bleekerianus.

Thermal stability of soluble malate dehydrogenase isozymes of subtropical fish belonging to the orders Characiformes, Siluriformes and Perciformes

Electrophoretic thermostability tests of soluble malate dehydrogenases (sMDH) isozymes in tissue extracts of 21 subtropical fish belonging to the orders Characiformes, Siluriformes and Perciformes showed three distinct results. The first, characterized by thermal stability of the slowest-migrating band or A-isoform, was detected in 52% of all species. The second, exhibited in 29% of the species analyzed, had a bidirectionally divergent pattern of their sMDH locus expression, and was characterized by a nondivergent thermostability pattern of both sMDH-A* and B*. In the third category, obtained in 19% of the species studied (the four Siluriformes species), thermostability of the fastest-migrating bands, or B-isoforms, was observed. Comparison of the effects of habitat temperature on the activity of paralogous and orthologous isoforms in tissue extracts of two of these species with different thermostability properties (Leporinus friderici - thermostable sMDH-A*, and Pimelodus maculatus - reverse thermostability properties or reverse electrophoretic pattern), collected during winter and summer months, showed that A and B subunits were present at different quantitative levels and their activities were nearly season independent. Differences in susceptibility to temperature (50°C) of both sMDH loci from tissue extracts of these species were found. In P. maculatus, these susceptibilities helped strengthen one of the hypotheses: the reverse thermostability pattern, where the fastest-migrating band or the B-isoform was the thermostable sMDH. Thus, temperature differences among orthologous homologues of sMDH seem to have occurred in these acclimatized species, where the fastest-migrating band, usually muscle specific and thermolabile in most teleosts, appeared in P. maculatus as the thermostable isoform.

Malate dehydrogenase in subtropical fish belonging to the orders characiformes, siluriformes and perciformes I. Duplicate gene expression and polymorphism

1. 1. Electrophoretic analysis of the soluble malate dehydrogenase (sMDH) from 22 subtropical fish belonging to the orders Characiformes, Siluriformes and Perciformes, collected in 10 reservoirs of São Paulo State and in two lakes of Minas Gerais State, Brazil, indicates that at least two sMDH loci, MDH-A ∗ and MDH-B ∗, are active. In addition to this latter locus, in Hoplias malabaricus (Erythrinidae, Characiformes), a MDH-A 1,3 ∗ isoloci is proposed in order to explain the six-banded pattern detected in all the individuals screened. 2. 2. In attempting to explain the multiplicity of compounds detected in 87% of the Geophagus brasiliensis (Cichlidae, Perciformes) specimens analyzed, three hypotheses are proposed: the event of duplication in processing the presence of three loci with a null allele within the MDH-B ∗, and overdominance. 3. 3. In 87% of the species here studied, a bidirectionally divergent pattern of expression of the sMDH loci was observed, in which the least anodal isozyme A 2 predominated in liver, and the most anodal isozyme B 2 predominated in skeletal muscle. In two siluriform species, Pimelodela gracilis and Hypostomus regani, and in one perciform, Tilapia rendalli, a unidirectionally divergent pattern, in which the isozyme A 2 predominated in every tissue analyzed, was observed. 4. 4. Polymorphism in at least one of the sMDH loci was detected in 9% of the species studied here: Leporinus friderici (Characiformes) at the MDH-A ∗ and P. gracilis at both sMDH loci. In L. friderici and Pimelodus maculatus (Siluriformes), rare alleles at the MDH-B ∗ locus were detected. Polymorphism at the mitochondrial locus was detected in Tilapia rendalli.

Energy Sources for Detritivorous Fishes in the Amazon

Detritivorous fishes form an important part of the ichthyomass in the Amazon basin. Most of these fishes are contained in the orders Characiformes and Siluriformes (catfishes). The Characiformes constitute more than 30% of the total fish yield in the Amazon basin, whereas the catfishes are of minor importance. Stable isotope data indicate that Characiformes species receive most of their carbon through food chains originating with phytoplankton, while the Siluriformes receive a significant part of their energy from other plant sources.