Importance of the macrofauna for the feeding of young fish species from infralittoral of Arrozal - Cananeia lagoon estuarine region (25º02'S-47º56'W): Brazil

The aim of this study was to establish the importance of the macrofauna as food for young fish species that inhabit the infralittoral adjacent to the lower marsh. The sampling site is located at Arrozal, Cananéia lagoon estuarine region (25º02'S and 47º56'W) and the collectings were realized monthly, during a year. The results suggest that the studied area could be considered as a nursery ground for young fish species. The local macrofauna is composed mainly by several groups of crustaceans and has a marked temporal variation. Mysids were dominant in Spring, copepods in Summer, mysids and bivalves were co-dominants in the Autumn and amphipods in Winter. Mysids, copepods, ostracods, tan aids and other epifaunal crustaceans were more consumed than other items. According to the trophic habits, the twelve fish species could be divided into three groups: the first and the third as mysids and copepods eaters respectively, and the second group with a balanced diet reflecting more than the other groups the seasonal variation of the macrofauna collected by the dredge. Benthonic and benthopelagic organisms were considered the major food source, being consumed by 75% of the analysed fish species, in Cananéia infralittoral.<br>O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar a importância da macrofauna do infralitoral, adjacente a marisma do Arrozal, região de Cananéia, na dieta alimentar de doze espécies de peixes jovens. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, a região pode ser considerada um berçário para muitas espécies de peixes. A macrofauna local é composta principalmente de crustáceos e apresenta uma acentuada variação temporal. Misidáceos foram dominantes na primavera, copépodes no verão, misidáceos e bivalves foram co-dominantes no outono e anfípodes no inverno. Misidáceos, copépodes, ostrácodes, tanaidáceos e outros crustáceos epifaunais foram mais consumidos pelos peixes macropredadores que outros itens. Os peixes capturados foram divididos em três grupos, de acordo com os hábitos tróficos: comedores de misidáceos, comedores de copépodes e "generalistas" que refletiu a variação sazonal da macrofauna. Setenta e cinco por cento das espécies de peixes predadores alimentaram-se de organismos bentônicos e bentopelágicos e vinte e cinco por cento de organismos pelágicos. Assim, no infralitoral de Cananéia - Arrozal os organismos bentônicos e bentopelágicos constituem a principal fonte alimentar de peixes jovens