Seasonal growth and life history of the catfishCalophysus macropterus(Lichtenstein, 1819) (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) from the Amazon floodplain

Abstract

The objective was to study seasonal aspects of the piracatinga catfish (Calophysus macropterus) growth and its relationship with the flood pulse. Analyzed from June 1997 to May 1998 were 446 specimens from the Amazon River. Using the period regression model with several biometric indexes gave the following results: two periods of low growth were identified in the vertebrae of C. macropterus, the first during falling water (August) and the second during rising water (January), using marginal increment analysis (MIA). This pattern was also observed in the annual variation of the regression coefficient of the length-weight relationship (b), and Feeding Index (FI), but an inverse relationship was observed with the Maturity Index (MI). These results suggest that reproduction occurs from January to February in the rising water season, when C. macropterus reaches sexual maturity at 1.4 and 1.5 of age for females and males, respectively. The parameters of BertalanffyÕs model were SL = 40.05[1)e )0.44(t)0.37) ] for females and SL = 41.9[1)e )0.42(t)0.36) ] for males. Natural mortality was high ($:0.42-#:0.40) and longevity low ($:6.8-#:7.1 years). The present study demonstrates that seasonal growth in C. macropterus is correlated with the flood pulse, especially in periods of rising and falling waters. These results, analyzed by the periodic regression model, showed that reproduction, migration or changes in feeding behavior have relationships with annulus formation in hard structures in this species. All quantitative indexes show clear seasonal variation to be correlated with river water level fluctuations.

Individual, spatial and inter-sex variation in somatic growth: a study of Piaractus mesopotamicus (Characiformes: Serrasalmidae), a long-distance freshwater Neotropical migratory fish

“…Frequency of growth marks formation in otoliths, based on the marginal increment method (MI) indicated two band-forming periods; linked to the reduction in P. mesopotamicus growth rate, it is likely that the first band is formed during the late the ebb and early dry season, about a year after hatching of the cohort (Costa, Mateus, 2009). The results of this study confirm that cyclical process (dry season and wet) occur in tropical wetland environments with distinct seasonal variation, and that these have direct impacts on fish life cycles (Pérez, Fabré, 2009). Consequently, seasonal growth variation was inferred from the relative widths of the two seasonal increments on the otoliths (Duponchelle et al, 2007).…”

Patterns of reproduction and growth of the catfishIheringichthys labrosus(Lütken, 1874) after a reservoir formation

“…No other studies refer to the mortality of I. labrosus , therefore it is not possible to ascertain if the values found in this study are high or low for the species, based on its biology. However, comparing the mortality in this work (0.90) with that of another catfish species Calophysus macropterus (Lichtenstein, 1819) on an Amazon floodplain belonging to the same family (0.42 for females and 0.40 for males) (Pérez and Fabré, ), our value is quite high. The reasons why mortality was high range from stochastic events that occurred at the study site to impacts caused by the damming (the reservoir was closed in 1996).…”

Population density, growth and reproduction of arapaima in an Amazonian river‐floodplain

“…Other species of fish from Amazonian floodplains, including Osteoglossum bicirrhosum, which belongs to the same family as arapaima (Osteoglossidae), also form two growth rings a year in their scales, one during low water and another during the flood, corresponding to dry-season food limitations and flood-season reproductive activities, respectively (Ribeiro 1983;Villacorta-Correa 1987;Oliveira 1996;Vieira 1999;Cutrimi & Batista 2005;Pérez & Fabré 2009). Formation of these twice-yearly rings probably relates to ecological processes involving life cycle of the species and water-level variations on the floodplains.…”