Migratory Ecology of <i>Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum</i> in the Amazon Basin Revealed by Otolith Microchemistry
Fish migrate for varied reasons, including to avoid predators and to access feeding, spawning, and nursery habitats, behaviors that enhance their survival and reproductive rates. However, the migratory ecology of many important fishes, especially those in river–floodplain ecosystems, remains poorly...
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2024-06-01
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| author | Luciana A. Pereira Leandro Castello Eric Hallerman Donald Orth Carolina Rodrigues da Costa Doria Edson Rubens Ferreira Rodrigues Fabrice Duponchelle |
| author_facet | Luciana A. Pereira Leandro Castello Eric Hallerman Donald Orth Carolina Rodrigues da Costa Doria Edson Rubens Ferreira Rodrigues Fabrice Duponchelle |
| author_sort | Luciana A. Pereira |
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| description | Fish migrate for varied reasons, including to avoid predators and to access feeding, spawning, and nursery habitats, behaviors that enhance their survival and reproductive rates. However, the migratory ecology of many important fishes, especially those in river–floodplain ecosystems, remains poorly understood. One fish of the Amazon Basin whose migratory behavior is poorly understood is the catfish <i>Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum</i>. Here, we used otolith elemental microchemistry to characterize the migration ecology of <i>P. fasciatum</i> in the Amazon Basin. The main research questions of this study were: (1) does <i>P. fasciatum</i> move between waters with different Sr isotopic signatures (<sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr) and chemical compositions? (2) What distance do they migrate? (3) Is the migration of <i>P. fasciatum</i> related to age? And (4) does <i>P. fasciatum</i> migrate mainly upstream, downstream, or in both directions? We assessed whether <i>P. fasciatum</i> migrates between waters with different <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr values, comparing the Sr isotopic signature of otolith transects of each individual with the range of Sr isotopic signatures within the respective rivers. We found that 34% of the 71 fish analyzed migrated between rivers with different Sr isotopic signatures and 66% did not. The mean migration distance migrated was 126 km, with most specimens migrating between 72 and 237 km. Apparently, no fish of age one or age six or older migrated. All fish that migrated were between two and five years of age, with 20% of the specimens that migrated being two years old, 40% three years old, 30% four years old, and 20% five years old. Sixty-six percent of all individuals that migrated between rivers with different Sr signatures did so bidirectionally, while 33% moved unidirectionally. According to our definition of homing behavior in which fish migrated back to the same river where they were born, 41% of all fish that migrated displayed apparent homing behavior. Our findings provide insights into the migratory ecology of <i>P. fasciatum</i>, corroborating and refining knowledge reported in the literature. Our results on the migratory ecology of <i>P. fasciatum</i> have implications for sustainable fisheries conservation and management: conserving <i>P. fasciatum</i> requires habitat maintenance and suitable fishing practices in spawning and nursery habitats, and managers must consider large geographic areas for effective fishery management and conservation. |
| format | Article |
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| spelling | doaj-art-3a0353af733d45bc96eb6a10c8b6d2d12025-07-24T14:07:44ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182024-06-0116737810.3390/d16070378Migratory Ecology of <i>Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum</i> in the Amazon Basin Revealed by Otolith MicrochemistryLuciana A. Pereira0Leandro Castello1Eric Hallerman2Donald Orth3Carolina Rodrigues da Costa Doria4Edson Rubens Ferreira Rodrigues5Fabrice Duponchelle6Department of Fish & Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USADepartment of Fish & Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USADepartment of Fish & Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USADepartment of Fish & Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USALaboratory of Ichthyology and Fisheries, Department of Biology, Federal University of Rondonia, Porto Velho 76801-059, BrazilLaboratory of Ichthyology and Fisheries, Department of Biology, Federal University of Rondonia, Porto Velho 76801-059, BrazilInstitut de Recherche Pour le Développement (IRD), MARBEC (University of Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, IRD), 34095 Montpellier, FranceFish migrate for varied reasons, including to avoid predators and to access feeding, spawning, and nursery habitats, behaviors that enhance their survival and reproductive rates. However, the migratory ecology of many important fishes, especially those in river–floodplain ecosystems, remains poorly understood. One fish of the Amazon Basin whose migratory behavior is poorly understood is the catfish <i>Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum</i>. Here, we used otolith elemental microchemistry to characterize the migration ecology of <i>P. fasciatum</i> in the Amazon Basin. The main research questions of this study were: (1) does <i>P. fasciatum</i> move between waters with different Sr isotopic signatures (<sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr) and chemical compositions? (2) What distance do they migrate? (3) Is the migration of <i>P. fasciatum</i> related to age? And (4) does <i>P. fasciatum</i> migrate mainly upstream, downstream, or in both directions? We assessed whether <i>P. fasciatum</i> migrates between waters with different <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr values, comparing the Sr isotopic signature of otolith transects of each individual with the range of Sr isotopic signatures within the respective rivers. We found that 34% of the 71 fish analyzed migrated between rivers with different Sr isotopic signatures and 66% did not. The mean migration distance migrated was 126 km, with most specimens migrating between 72 and 237 km. Apparently, no fish of age one or age six or older migrated. All fish that migrated were between two and five years of age, with 20% of the specimens that migrated being two years old, 40% three years old, 30% four years old, and 20% five years old. Sixty-six percent of all individuals that migrated between rivers with different Sr signatures did so bidirectionally, while 33% moved unidirectionally. According to our definition of homing behavior in which fish migrated back to the same river where they were born, 41% of all fish that migrated displayed apparent homing behavior. Our findings provide insights into the migratory ecology of <i>P. fasciatum</i>, corroborating and refining knowledge reported in the literature. Our results on the migratory ecology of <i>P. fasciatum</i> have implications for sustainable fisheries conservation and management: conserving <i>P. fasciatum</i> requires habitat maintenance and suitable fishing practices in spawning and nursery habitats, and managers must consider large geographic areas for effective fishery management and conservation.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/7/378Sr isotopic ratiosontogenetic migrationreproductive migrationlife historybarred surubim catfish |
| spellingShingle | Luciana A. Pereira Leandro Castello Eric Hallerman Donald Orth Carolina Rodrigues da Costa Doria Edson Rubens Ferreira Rodrigues Fabrice Duponchelle Migratory Ecology of <i>Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum</i> in the Amazon Basin Revealed by Otolith Microchemistry Diversity Sr isotopic ratios ontogenetic migration reproductive migration life history barred surubim catfish |
| title | Migratory Ecology of <i>Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum</i> in the Amazon Basin Revealed by Otolith Microchemistry |
| title_full | Migratory Ecology of <i>Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum</i> in the Amazon Basin Revealed by Otolith Microchemistry |
| title_fullStr | Migratory Ecology of <i>Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum</i> in the Amazon Basin Revealed by Otolith Microchemistry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Migratory Ecology of <i>Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum</i> in the Amazon Basin Revealed by Otolith Microchemistry |
| title_short | Migratory Ecology of <i>Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum</i> in the Amazon Basin Revealed by Otolith Microchemistry |
| title_sort | migratory ecology of i pseudoplatystoma fasciatum i in the amazon basin revealed by otolith microchemistry |
| topic | Sr isotopic ratios ontogenetic migration reproductive migration life history barred surubim catfish |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/7/378 |
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