A comparison of the larvivorous habits of exotic Poecilia reticulata and native Aplocheilus parvus

Abstract

BackgroundThe exotic fish Poecilia reticulata is promoted in the tropics as a biological control agent for aquatic pathogenic carriers, such as mosquitoes. Such control measures are often adopted blindly, ignoring the potential of native species and the adverse effects of introduced species. The present study was conducted to assess the diet composition of two species of fish, the native Aplocheilus parvus and exotic P. reticulata, and to assess the availability of food items in their natural environment in four types of aquatic systems. Diet composition was estimated using 24 h gut contents analysis, in a clay quarry pit and a perennial reservoir for A. parvus, and in a man-made canal and a second-order natural stream for P. reticulata. Food items in these environments were quantified by analyzing water samples collected every 2 h.ResultsThe diet of A. parvus in the clay quarry pit and reservoir consisted of adult or larval stages of Insecta, Maxillopoda and Malacostraca. In both habitats, A. parvus selectively fed on insect parts and insect larvae. The diet of P. reticulata consisted of filamentous algae, diatoms and detritus. The diet of A. parvus showed active selection of insectivore food items against their low availability. In contrast, the diet of P. reticulata showed consumption of food items in accordance with their availability in the environment. The highest mean number of food items in the gut for A. parvus was recorded around mid-day in the clay quarry pit, but no peak feeding time was identified in the perennial reservoir. For P. reticulata, peak feeding was recorded around mid-day in both the habitats.ConclusionIrrespective of the type of environment and rate of occurrence, A. parvus preferred insect and insect larvae, whereas P. reticulata consumed the most readily available food items. The active selection of insects by A. parvus suggests they may have value as a biological control agent.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12898-018-0180-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Chemical composition and larvicidal activities of Azolla pinnata extracts against Aedes (Diptera:Culicidae)

“…Additionally, the Azolla pinnata extracts did not possess any toxic effects on the fish. Many studies on guppy fish, Poecilia reticulata , have shown the abilities of this fish as the biological control of Aedes larvae by its larval-eating potential [ 65 , 66 ]. According a study by Pereira and Olivaira, [ 67 ], Poecilia reticulata has significant potential effects to predate on Aedes aegypti larvae, and this eliminates the breeding ground of larvae.…”

Eficacia Larvívora de Betta Splendens, Poecilia Reticulata y Carassius Auratus Sobre Larvas de Aedes Aegypti y A. Albopictus en Condiciones de Laboratorio

“…También de Oliveira et al ( 2010) aseveran que B. splendens puede ser adecuado para el control biológico de larvas de A. aegypti en grandes contenedores de agua domésticos, pero que se deben tomar medidas apropiadas para asegurar una supervivencia. La segunda especie más voraz fue P. reticulata en el consumo de las poblaciones de 10, 25 larvas, Fernando et al (2018) mencionan que P. reticulata mostró un consumo de alimentos de acuerdo con su disponibilidad en el medio ambiente, lo cual no sucedió con las poblaciones de 45 larvas donde C. aurantus fue la mejor (Fig. 1).…”

Predatory efficiency of Danio rerio (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) and Poecilia reticulata (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae) as a biocontrol agent of Aedes larvae (Diptera: Culicidae) under the laboratory condition in Bangladesh

“…Although guppies are able to consume insect larvae, experimentally, their use as a biological control agent can be more harmful than bene cial [37]. Recent studies revealed that the gut contents of guppies consisted of a signi cantly higher percentage of phytoplankton in both man-made canals and natural streams [37]. Another study reported that guppies failed to feed Cx.…”