Evaluation of the feeding habits of Macrobrachium brasiliense (Heller, 1862) in the Curral de Arame stream (Dourados/Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil)

• Autor(a) principal: Melo,Madson Silveira de
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Outros Autores: Nakagaki,Jelly Makoto
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Nauplius
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-64972013000100004
• topic: Crustacea; food habits; frequency of occurrence; Palaemonidae; stomach content

Macrobrachium brasiliense is a cosmopolitan shrimp species found in the channel of large rivers, streams, lakes, igapós and upland igarapés and can present diversity in the use of food resources. This study aimed to evaluate the feeding habits according to sex, molt stage, seasonal and spatial variation, and size class. Organisms were collected every three months from May 2011 to March 2012 at three sampling sites in the Curral de Arame Stream, including the upstream, middle, and downstream sections. Animals were sampled with 50x50cm sieves (1 mm mesh size) on the margin, and with "D" dip nets 40 cm wide (500 µm mesh size) at the bottom. Of each animal we examined the sex, molt stage, carapace length, and stomach content. Data were analyzed through the frequency of occurrence and compared by a chi-square test. Four-hundred-thirty shrimps were collected, of which 26.05% male and 73.95% female; of the total males, 69.64% showed content in the stomach, and females, 72.96%. Among food items stood out: Non-identified Organic Matter (90%), Insects (89.68%), Sand (87.10%), Algae (49.03%), Oligochaeta (29.68%), Fungi (26.77%) and Plant fragment (14.52%). No significant difference was detected in the diet between males and females, but there was a seasonal difference related to the molt stage, and differences along the space and per size classes, and it was concluded that the species has omnivorous habits.