Feeding habits of Bryconamericus stramineus were described in different streams of Guiraí River Sub-basin in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Mid-West of Brazil. Fishes were sampled bi-monthly between October/06 and August/07 in seven streams and the samples were separated in two seasons: dry and wet. A total of 960 individuals were captured. B. stramineus showed an insectivore feeding habit, consuming seventeen food items. The feeding tactic of preys capture varied between the seasons and the locations. During the wet season the most important items were Hymenoptera, Diptera and Coleoptera, while Megaloptera and Diptera were the most important during dry season. In all analyzed streams, B. stramineus showed a diet basically composed by insects; the other items spent sometimes, corroborating the literature. Resumo: Os hábitos alimentares de Bryconamericus stramineus foram estudados em riachos da sub-bacia do rio Guiraí, no estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, centro-oeste do Brasil. As amostragens foram realizadas bimestralmente em sete riachos na bacia do rio Guiraí, Alto Rio Paraná, de outubro/2006 a agosto/2007. Foram capturados 960 exemplares. As amostragens foram divididas em estação chuvosa e estação seca. B. stramineus apresentou hábito alimentar insetívoro; a espécie utilizou 17 itens alimentares, sendo que a tática de consumo das presas variou entre as estações a as localidades. Durante a estação chuvosa nos estômagos prevaleceram as Ordens Hymenoptera, Diptera e Coleoptera, durante a seca predominaram as Ordens Megaloptera e Diptera. Em todos os riachos analisados, B. stramineus apresentou dieta basicamente composta por insetos, sendo os demais itens consumidos ocasionalmente, confirmando a literatura. Palavras-chave: dieta, insetivoria, caracídeo.

Diet of fish fauna from Franco stream, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The aim of this study was to characterize the diet of the most abundant fish species in the Franco stream (Ivinhema, MS). Fish were captured monthly, from March 2006 to February 2007. To infer the diet of species that feed on macroscopic items, the stomach contents of each individual was removed, weighed (g) and subsequently analyzed under stereomicroscope. The data obtained for each species in each sampling unit were analyzed with the following methods: Frequency of Occurrence, Volumetric Analysis Index and Index of Importance. We collected 17 species of fish, the vast majority Characiformes, with ten species, two species of Siluriformes, two of Perciformes, two of Gymnotiformes and one of Synbranchiformes. The diet of two species of the genus Astyanax was based mainly on items of plant origin; Serrapinnus notomelas fed up of plant items, mainly from algae; Hemigrammus marginatus showed a mainly insectivorous feeding habits of alien origin, Corydoras aeneus and Eigenmannia trilineata fed up primarily of aquatic insects; sediment was the main food item of Hypostomus ancistroides, followed by algae and macrophytes; Crenicichla britiskii fed mainly on terrestrial insects.

Experiments were designed to determine if the juvenile forms of jundia (Rhamdia quelen) exhibit selectivity feeding on zooplanktonic organisms and the influence of intraspecific competition on the diet. The fish were maintained in 5000-L containers, and after seven days from birth, they were acclimated in experimental units with different densities and supplied with water containing plankton (natural), where they remained for 24 h in the environment with food. In the first seven days at densities of 5 and 10 fish.L-1, the fish selected the Rotifera more intensely, and at densities of 20 and 40 fish.L-1, the Cladocera were more selected. At 14 days of age, the Cladocera were the most selected for all densities of fish. At 21 days of age, the juvenile forms of jundia maintained a preference for Cladocera, and there was an increase in the capture of Copepoda at a density of 40 fish.L-1. At 28 days of age, the Cladocera were the most captured at densities of 5 to 20 fish.L-1, and the consumption of copepods increased at a density of 40 fish.L-1. The juvenile forms of Rhamdia quelen showed a high feeding preference for Cladocera at all the ages tested (7, 14, 21 and 28 days), but the density of fish per litre influenced the capture of the preferential food. This study showed that the juvenile forms of jundia had a more rapid response to the presence of food at densities of more than 10 fish.L-1, and that at higher densities the fish decreased interactions of territorial defense and formed schools, which allowed the foraging of zooplanktonic organisms, larger in size, more agile and of greater energy gain, such as the Cladocera and copepods.