The food resources exploitation by small-sized fish in a riverine macrophyte habitat

Influence of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms on a Tropical Microcrustacean Community Based on Taxonomic and Functional Trait Diversity

“…In addition to increasing the foraging area for benthic species, macrophyte-associated microorganisms can also represent novel food resources for predacious microcrustaceans [5], potentially explaining a higher density of omnivore-carnivore trophic group found in the macrophyte treatment. In our study, copepods classified as omnivore-carnivore were represented by the cyclopoid Mesocyclops, a benthic genus, adapted to living among macrophytes, and with a high plasticity for prey preference [40,41].…”

“…Macrophyte forms (floating vs. submerged) may influence resources available for microcrustaceans because the physical assistance offered by each depends on the shape and structure that remains submerged [5], potentially differentially influencing microcrustacean functional groups [39]. The floating form as E. crassipes has submerged roots and stolons, which retain a large amount of detritus that is highly suitable for benthic species use [3], but not for pelagic filter feeders.…”

“…Moreover, macrophytes can also offer a novel prey source for omnivorous or carnivorous microcrustaceans because of increases in associated microorganisms [4]. Macrophytes are reported as essential for increases in diversity of fish fauna because of the greater supply of food resources, but also by offering refuge against predation from larger visual hunting fish [5]. Such changes that indirectly promote resource heterogeneity and higher resource availability may explain greater microcrustacean diversity in littoral zones of aquatic ecosystems, even in the absence of predators, especially where macrophytes are more abundant [6].…”

“…Such changes that indirectly promote resource heterogeneity and higher resource availability may explain greater microcrustacean diversity in littoral zones of aquatic ecosystems, even in the absence of predators, especially where macrophytes are more abundant [6]. Some studies have demonstrated a role for macrophytes as mediators in the interaction between prey and aquatic predators [2][3][4][5][6][7], with zooplankton using plants as a refuge against predation by fish [8,9]. However, zooplankton may also avoid macrophyte areas when fish predation is intense in these areas [7].…”

Uso sustentável de macrófitas no tratamento de efluentes: uma revisão sistemática

“…Na literatura acadêmica, dada a importância das macrófitas no meio ambiente, diversos estudos têm sido publicados sobre os diferentes papeis ecológicos que elas exercem, tais como a importância na ciclagem de nutrientes (Lu et al, 2018), na manutenção da funcionalidade de ambientes alagados (Agnieszka et al, 2018) e rios (Tena et al, 2017) e servindo como nicho para abrigo e fonte alimentar de peixes (Grzybkowskaa et al, 2018). Também são objetos de pesquisa, temas que abordam as estratégias e taxas de captação de carbono pelas macrófitas (Yin et al, 2017), a importância do biofilme natural que se estabelece em suas folhas, caules e raízes e que possuem função no ciclo de nutrientes em ambiente aquático (Pang et al, 2016), entre tantos outros assuntos.…”