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The river flood pulse, benthic biofilm, and the nutrition of Prochilodus lineatus

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Abstract

Prochilodus lineatus (Valenciennes, 1837) is one of 270 fish species in the Rio Paraná system yet it comprises > 50% of the fish biomass and is the only fish species in the system known to feed entirely on flocculent benthic biofilm. We studied the feeding behavior and diet of P. lineatus, and the composition of benthic biofilm in river channels, the moving littoral, and in isolated floodplain lakes at different stages of the Rio Paraná hydrological cycle. Prochilodus lineatus selectively ingests hydrolysis-labile-organic-matter rich in amino acids while selectively rejecting mineral matter and refractory organic matter. Assessed in terms of g AA assimilated · kJ−1 energy assimilated, the quality of food ingested by P. lineatus ranges from a maintenance level of 5 to 12 mg AA · kJ−1, a level expected to produce near maximum growth. The level of amino acids in benthic biofilm is highest in shallow waters during the advancing flood (the moving littoral), and P. lineatus have been observed to feed in littoral areas so shallow that their dorsal fins and backs are exposed. Feeding intensity increases with river height as the moving littoral expands. Feeding site selection, selective ingestion, and conditional feeding intensity each increase amino acid assimilation and together constitute a trophic strategy that allows P. lineatus to dominate the fish community of the Rio Paraná.

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Acknowledgements

M.O. Ahlgren participated in planning the study, participated in three of the five sampling periods, planned and conducted many of the laboratory analyses, and would have participated in preparation of the manuscript had she not died tragically while serving as a first responder in a marine rescue event. This work was supported by the Conservation, Food, and Health Foundation of Boston, MA, USA, and by generous in-kind support from the Centro de Ecologia Aplicada del Litoral (CECOAL), Corrientes, Argentina, a division of CONICET. Director Juan Josè Neiff’s broad understanding of the Paraná ecosystem and the local knowledge and skill of CECOAL field personnel Sr. Nicholas T. Roberto and Sr. Luis L Benetti were essential to the project’s success. P. Bayley and T. Sutton provided helpful critical reviews of an early draft of this report. Megan Slemons, Emory University GIS Librarian, prepared Fig. 1.

Funding

This work was supported by the Conservation, Food, and Health Foundation of Boston, MA, USA, and by in-kind support from the Centro de Ecologia Aplicada del Litoral (CECOAL), Corrientes, Argentina, a division of CONICET.

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  1. Stephen H. Bowen

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    Stephen H. Bowen

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Bowen, S.H. The river flood pulse, benthic biofilm, and the nutrition of Prochilodus lineatus. Environ Biol Fish 105, 213–230 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-022-01211-1

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