Feeding of Reportedly Parasitic Catfishes (Trichomycteridae and Cetopsidae) in the Rio Portuguesa Basin, Venezuela

Baskin, Jonathan N.; Zaret, Thomas M.; Mago-Leccia, Francisco

doi:10.2307/2387969

Cited by 34 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…A scale-feeding behavior has been also described for the stegophilines (Eigenmann and Allen, 1942;Roberts, 1972;Baskin et al, 1980;Machado and Sazima, 1983;Winemiller and Yan, 1989), but we found lepidophagy in the two studied species to be non-obligatory and related to the body size and consequently scale size of the host species (Supplementary Table 1). Even though we do not have information on the body size of the hosts whose mucus were found in the stomachs (adult size or juveniles), none of the stomachs containing mucus of the largest host species (M. liza and Prochilodus lineatus) showed the presence of scales (Figures 2, 3).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

“…This diet is possible by the morphological specializations shared by the members of the subfamily Stegophilinae that possess a wide and ventral mouth with numerous teeth in both jaws, arranged in several rows (Baskin et al, 1980). This allows mucus scraping of their hosts and may function as a sucker (Winemiller and Yan, 1989).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The vandeliines feed exclusively on blood from the gills of other fishes (Kelley and Atz, 1964;Machado and Sazima, 1983) while the stegophilines have been reported as scale and mucus-feeders (Eigenmann and Allen, 1942;Roberts, 1972;Baskin et al, 1980;Machado and Sazima, 1983;Winemiller and Yan, 1989;Neto and de Pinna, 2016). The feeding habits of the representatives of a third subfamily, the Tridentinae, remains uncertain, but there are circumstantial records of semiparasitic (scale-eating) or predation of small invertebrates among its species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Unrevealing Parasitic Trophic Interactions—A Molecular Approach for Fluid-Feeding Fishes

2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fish diets have been traditionally studied through the direct visual identification of food items found in their stomachs. Stomach contents of Vandeliinae and Stegophilinae (family Trichomycteridae) parasite catfishes, however, cannot be identified by usual optical methods due to their mucophagic, lepidophagic, or hematophagic diets, in such a way that the trophic interactions and the dynamics of food webs in aquatic systems involving these catfishes are mostly unknown. The knowledge about trophic interactions, including difficult relation between parasites and hosts, are crucial to understand the whole working of food webs. In this way, molecular markers can be useful to determine the truly hosts of these catfishes, proving a preference in their feeding behavior for specific organisms and not a generalist. Sequences of cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) were successfully extracted and amplified from mucus or scales found in the stomach contents of two species of stegophilines, Homodiaetus anisitsi, and Pseudostegophilus maculatus, to identify the host species. The two species were found to be obligatory mucus-feeders and occasionally lepidophagic. Selection of host species is associated to host behavior, being constituted mainly by substrate-sifting benthivores. Characiformes are preferred hosts, but host choice depends on what characiform species are available in their environments, usually corresponding to the most abundant species. This is the first time that host species of parasitic fishes bearing mucophagous habits are identified, and demonstrates the effectiveness of the extraction and amplification of mitochondrial DNA from the ingested mucus in gut contents. The molecular markers effectively allowed determine parasite preferences and helps in better understanding the food web and trophic interaction on which fish species are involved. Despite, the methodology applied here can be used for an infinitive of organisms improving ecological trophic studies.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Unrevealing Parasitic Trophic Interactions—A Molecular Approach for Fluid-Feeding Fishes

2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…obs.). Members of the Stegophilinae are usually reported to be scale-or mucus-eaters (Baskin et al, 1980;Winemiller & Yan, 1989;de Pinna, 1998;Fernández & Schaefer, 2009), but also include carnivores and even scavengers (pers. obs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…obs. ; Haseman, 1911;Devincenzi & Teague, 1942;Roberts, 1972;Baskin et al, 1980;Winemiller & Yan, 1989;Spotte, 2002). The stegophilines Pareiodon and Pseudostegophilus and the Tridentinae are presumably nektonic (FAB, pers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dorsolateral head muscles of the catfish families Nematogenyidae and Trichomycteridae (Siluriformes: Loricarioidei): comparative anatomy and phylogenetic analysis

2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The skeletal muscles of the dorsolateral region of the head of the Nematogenyidae and representatives of the all major clades of the Trichomycteridae are described and illustrated. A hypothesis on the phylogenetic relationships among these taxa exclusively based on the surveyed musculature is presented. The single most parsimonious cladogram obtained from the phylogenetic analysis of the 36 myological characters gathered and 35 terminal-taxa mostly agrees with the previous hypotheses of trichomycterid intrarelationships. The Copionodontinae and Trichogeninae form a monophyletic lineage that is the sistergroup to all remaining trichomycterids. The monophyly of the clades formed by Glanapteryginae plus Sarcoglanidinae; Stegophilinae plus Tridentinae plus Vandelliinae; and the assemblage comprising all of these five subfamilies (TSVSG clade) is corroborated. Two of our findings are, however, discordant with the previous prevailing hypotheses: the sister-group relationship among Tridentinae and Stegophilinae and the monophyly of the Trichomycterinae lato sensu, i.e., including the genera Scleronema and Ituglanis. In addition, the previously proposed osteological synapomorphies supporting the close affinities of Scleronema and Ituglanis with the TSVSG clade were revised, revealing that they are either invalid or ambiguous. Most of the synapomorphies herein proposed are homoplasy-free, with some of them corroborating the monophyly of weakly-supported groups, such as Stegophilinae.Os músculos esqueléticos da região dorsolateral da cabeça de Nematogenyidae e de representantes de todos os maiores clados de Trichomycteridae são descritos e ilustrados. Uma hipótese das relações filogenéticas entre estes táxons, baseada exclusivamente na musculatura estudada, é apresentada. O único cladograma mais parcimonioso obtido da análise filogenética dos 36 caracteres miológicos levantados e 35 táxons-terminais concorda com a maior parte das hipóteses anteriores de relações entre os tricomicterídeos. Copionodontinae e Trichogeninae formam uma linhagem monofilética que é grupo-irmã de todos os demais tricomicterídeos. O monofiletismo dos clados formados por Glanapteryginae mais Sarcoglanidinae; Stegophilinae mais Tridentinae mais Vandelliinae; e do agrupamento incluindo estas cinco subfamílias (clado TSVSG) é corroborado. Duas de nossas descobertas são, entretanto, discordantes com relação às hipóteses anteriores mais aceitas: a relação de grupo-irmão entre Tridentinae e Stegophilinae e o monofiletismo de Trichomycterinae lato sensu, i.e., incluindo os gêneros Scleronema e Ituglanis. Além disso, as sinapomorfias osteológicas previamente propostas suportando as relações de afinidade de Scleronema e Ituglanis com o clado TSVSG foram revisadas, revelando serem inválidas ou ambíguas. A maior parte das sinapomorfias aqui propostas são livres de homoplasias, com algumas delas corroborando o monofiletismo de grupos fracamente suportados, tais como o da subfamília Stegophilinae.

show abstract

Atlas of Fish of Tapajós and Negro Rivers II: Gymnotiformes and Siluriformes

Silvano

Nitschke

Vieira

et al. 2020

Fish and Fisheries in the Brazilian Amazon

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Feeding of Reportedly Parasitic Catfishes (Trichomycteridae and Cetopsidae) in the Rio Portuguesa Basin, Venezuela

Cited by 34 publications

References 4 publications

Unrevealing Parasitic Trophic Interactions—A Molecular Approach for Fluid-Feeding Fishes

Unrevealing Parasitic Trophic Interactions—A Molecular Approach for Fluid-Feeding Fishes

Dorsolateral head muscles of the catfish families Nematogenyidae and Trichomycteridae (Siluriformes: Loricarioidei): comparative anatomy and phylogenetic analysis

Atlas of Fish of Tapajós and Negro Rivers II: Gymnotiformes and Siluriformes

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About