Catfishes as prey items of Potamotrygonid stingrays in the Solimoes and Negro rivers, Brazilian Amazon

Author(s)

Shibuya, Akemi ^[1] ; Zuanon, Jansen ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biociencias, Dept Zool, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] INPA, Coordenacao Pesquisas Biodiversidade, BR-69060001 Manaus, Amazonas - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Biota Neotropica; v. 13, n. 1, p. 376-379, JAN-MAR 2013.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

In spite of the fact that catfish have rarely been reported as food items in the diets of freshwater stingrays, they are commonly observed in the stomach contents of species inhabiting the Solimoes and Negro rivers in the Brazilian Amazon. The stomach contents of six rays from the Solimoes River and 64 from the Negro River were analyzed, and catfishes (distributed among the families Callichthyidae, Cetopsidae, Doradidae and Loricariidae) were found in the stomach contents of four and 10 of these rays, respectively, comprising a frequency of occurrence of 20%. These data indicate a relevant participation of catfishes in the diets of potamotrygonid rays in the Amazon, and may reflect the regional diversity and abundance of Siluriformes in the region. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/23683-0 - A comparative morphological study of the feeding mechanism in rays of the order Myliobatiformes (Chondrichthyes: Batoidea)
• Grantee: Akemi Shibuya
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral