Metazoans parasites of tamboatá Hoplosternum littorale (Hancock, 1828) (Siluriformes: Callichthyidae) collected in three different parts of Peixe's River, Middle Tietê river, SP, Brazil

• Grant number: 11/01818-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2012
• End date: December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Helminthology of Parasites
• Principal Investigator: Vanessa Doro Abdallah Kozlowiski
• Grantee: Carlos Alexandre Alves
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brazil is among the countries with the so-called mega-diversity, possessing a large quantity of animal and plant species on the planet. Currently, the biodiversity of marine and freshwater ecosystems have been threatened, mainly by environmental problems resulting from the degradation of ecosystems, an example is the stretch of the middle Tietê River, where the Barra Bonita reservoir (SP) focuses almost the entire load of organic effluents from the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo, leading to eutrophication with the loss of water quality. This basin is located in the Peixe River, a tributary of the Barra Bonita dam whose springs are on the slopes of the Cuesta de Botucatu, presenting an altitudinal gradient, a good state of conservation and water quality, with a rich biodiversity of fish associated with the presence of numerous marginal lagoons. However, in the region of its mouth (transition River / Barra Bonita dam), there is a dramatic change in limnological conditions due to the influence of hyper-eutrophic reservoir. In recent years, the parasites have been recognized as important components of global biodiversity. Determine the integral role of parasites in natural ecosystems, identify hotspots of high parasite diversity, as well as areas of low diversity is crucial to fully understanding the functioning of the biosphere. Thus, the main objective of this project will be diagnosed qualitatively the parasite communities Hoplosternum littorale (Hancock, 1828) along the altitudinal gradient of a major river under the influence of limnological Barra Bonita dam (middle Tietê River). (AU)