Diet overlap among three sympatric African annual killifish species (Nothobranchius spp.) from Mozambique

0345198 - ÚBO 2011 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Polačik, Matej - Reichard, Martin
Diet overlap among three sympatric African annual killifish species (Nothobranchius spp.) from Mozambique.
Journal of Fish Biology. Roč. 77, č. 3 (2010), s. 754-768. ISSN 0022-1112. E-ISSN 1095-8649
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA206/09/0815
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519
Keywords : coexistence * food niche * niche partitioning * similar morphology
Subject RIV: EG - Zoology
Impact factor: 1.330, year: 2010

The diet patterns of three Nothobranchius species (N. furzeri, N. orthonotus and N. rachovii), small, short-lived annual killifish from temporary pools in African savannah were investigated. Four sites with contrasting fish density and water surface area were sampled in 2008 and 2009 in southern Mozambique. Stomach content analysis showed that all the species examined were generalists, with diets largely based on aquatic invertebrates. The same invertebrate prey categories were consumed by all three species, but their relative proportion varied across species. The largest species, N. orthonotus showed the most distinct diet and was found to consume vertebrates (juvenile lungfish Protopterus annectens., larval Amphibia) and a relatively high proportion of insect larvae. The diet of the other two species showed a stronger overlap, did not include vertebrates, but was rich in small crustaceans. Mosquito larvae formed only a negligible part of the diet of all species.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0186523