Behavioural responses of <i>Odontophrynus americanus</i> tadpoles (Anura: Leptodactylidae) to fish chemical cues

Las larvas de muchas especies de anfibios viven en ambientes con vegetación y de aguas turbias, donde la visibilidad es muy limitada. En estos ambientes, la utilización de señales químicas para la detección de depredadores podría ser más confiable que la utilización de señales visuales. Las larvas de Odontophrynus americanus habitan en las lagunas del valle aluvial del río Paraná Medio, Argentina, donde normalmente se dan condiciones de baja visibilidad. La hipótesis de este trabajo fue que los renacuajos de esta especie pueden detectar a los depredadores y responder subsecuentemente con conducta antipredador ante la percepción de señales químicas de los depredadores. En el presente trabajo se llevaron a cabo tres experimentos de laboratorio para evaluar si los renacuajos de O. americanus responden conductualmente al estímulo químico del pez Astyanax fasciatus. Las respuestas conductuales fueron evaluadas observando cambios en actividad, utilización de refugio y distribución espacial de los renacuajos. En presencia del estímulo químico del pez, los renacuajos redujeron su actividad en un 27%, incrementaron cinco veces la utilización de refugios, pero no exhibieron una respuesta de elusión espacial al estímulo del depredador. Las respuestas conductuales de los renacuajos de esta especie podrían reducir las probabilidades de encuentro y ataque por parte de los depredadores.Many amphibian larvae live in turbid and vegetated habitats with very limited visibility. In these habitats, the use of chemical cues for predator detection may be more reliable than visual ones. Odontophrynus americanus tadpoles inhabit floodplain ponds of the middle Paraná River, Argentina, where they frequently encounter low visibility conditions. We hypothesize that tadpoles of this species can detect predators and subsequently respond with antipredator behaviour by means of chemical cues from predators. In the present work, we ran three separate laboratory experiments to evaluate whether O. americanus tadpoles respond behaviourally to a chemical stimulus of the characid fish Astyanax fasciatus. We evaluated behavioural responses by observing changes in activity level, refuge use and spatial distribution of the tadpoles. In the presence of the fish chemical stimulus, tadpoles reduced their activity by 27% and increased refuge use approximately five-fold, but they did not exhibit spatial avoidance from the predator stimulus. The behavioural responses of the tadpoles of this species may reduce the rate of encounter and attack by predators.Asociación Herpetológica Argentina (AHA

Feeding ecology of Elachistocleis bicolor in a riparian locality of the middle Paraná River

Elachistocleis bicolor is a poorly known South American microhylid frog. Although it has been claimed to be an ant specialist, there have been no detailed studies of ontogenetic diet change and prey selectivity in this species. We analysed the diet of 114 individuals of this frog through the post-metamorphic ontogeny. We also studied the anurans’ morphometric relationships to prey size, and compared diet with prey availability, estimating predation tactics. All prey categories were consumed out of proportion relative to their availability in the environment. The results suggest that the three stages of E. bicolor are selective foragers with a strong preference for ants, although the prey spectrum includes other taxa. The diet of subadults was more similar to that of juveniles, and had the widest diet overlap. Juveniles ate smaller prey, and this could be reducing food competition with older stages. Although the three stages are selective ant foragers, as frogs grow up, there is a partial and gradual change in prey category captured.Instituto de Botánica "Dr. Carlos Spegazzini

Behavioural responses of <i>Odontophrynus americanus</i> tadpoles (Anura: Leptodactylidae) to fish chemical cues

Las larvas de muchas especies de anfibios viven en ambientes con vegetación y de aguas turbias, donde la visibilidad es muy limitada. En estos ambientes, la utilización de señales químicas para la detección de depredadores podría ser más confiable que la utilización de señales visuales. Las larvas de Odontophrynus americanus habitan en las lagunas del valle aluvial del río Paraná Medio, Argentina, donde normalmente se dan condiciones de baja visibilidad. La hipótesis de este trabajo fue que los renacuajos de esta especie pueden detectar a los depredadores y responder subsecuentemente con conducta antipredador ante la percepción de señales químicas de los depredadores. En el presente trabajo se llevaron a cabo tres experimentos de laboratorio para evaluar si los renacuajos de O. americanus responden conductualmente al estímulo químico del pez Astyanax fasciatus. Las respuestas conductuales fueron evaluadas observando cambios en actividad, utilización de refugio y distribución espacial de los renacuajos. En presencia del estímulo químico del pez, los renacuajos redujeron su actividad en un 27%, incrementaron cinco veces la utilización de refugios, pero no exhibieron una respuesta de elusión espacial al estímulo del depredador. Las respuestas conductuales de los renacuajos de esta especie podrían reducir las probabilidades de encuentro y ataque por parte de los depredadores.Many amphibian larvae live in turbid and vegetated habitats with very limited visibility. In these habitats, the use of chemical cues for predator detection may be more reliable than visual ones. Odontophrynus americanus tadpoles inhabit floodplain ponds of the middle Paraná River, Argentina, where they frequently encounter low visibility conditions. We hypothesize that tadpoles of this species can detect predators and subsequently respond with antipredator behaviour by means of chemical cues from predators. In the present work, we ran three separate laboratory experiments to evaluate whether O. americanus tadpoles respond behaviourally to a chemical stimulus of the characid fish Astyanax fasciatus. We evaluated behavioural responses by observing changes in activity level, refuge use and spatial distribution of the tadpoles. In the presence of the fish chemical stimulus, tadpoles reduced their activity by 27% and increased refuge use approximately five-fold, but they did not exhibit spatial avoidance from the predator stimulus. The behavioural responses of the tadpoles of this species may reduce the rate of encounter and attack by predators.Asociación Herpetológica Argentina (AHA

Feeding ecology of Elachistocleis bicolor in a riparian locality of the middle Paraná River

Elachistocleis bicolor is a poorly known South American microhylid frog. Although it has been claimed to be an ant specialist, there have been no detailed studies of ontogenetic diet change and prey selectivity in this species. We analysed the diet of 114 individuals of this frog through the post-metamorphic ontogeny. We also studied the anurans’ morphometric relationships to prey size, and compared diet with prey availability, estimating predation tactics. All prey categories were consumed out of proportion relative to their availability in the environment. The results suggest that the three stages of E. bicolor are selective foragers with a strong preference for ants, although the prey spectrum includes other taxa. The diet of subadults was more similar to that of juveniles, and had the widest diet overlap. Juveniles ate smaller prey, and this could be reducing food competition with older stages. Although the three stages are selective ant foragers, as frogs grow up, there is a partial and gradual change in prey category captured.Instituto de Botánica "Dr. Carlos Spegazzini

Dermal lip protuberances associated with aquatic surface respiration in juveniles of the piscivorous characid Salminus brasiliensis (Actinopterygii: Characidae)

Some South American freshwater fishes can improve their capability of aquatic surface respiration (ASR) by developing dermal lip protuberances in the lower jaw. This adaptation was thought to be limited to omnivorous or herbivorous fishes. The present work provides the first evidence that juveniles of a piscivorous characid, Salminus brasiliensis, develop dermal lip protuberances during periods of hypoxia in floodplain ponds of the Salado River, in Argentina. The protuberance of S. brasiliensis involves dermal portions of both jaws exhibiting lateral lobes on the sides of the mouth arranged in the vertical plane. Water dissolved oxygen concentrations less than or equal to 1.05 mgl -1 were associated with a remarkable increase in lip protuberance. The lateral lobes of the protuberance in this species may limit the access of water to the anterior portion of the mouth which is positioned nearer to the oxygenated surface water during ASR. Finally, ASR, complemented with the development of dermal lip protuberances, can be considered a valuable strategy to survive in hypoxic environments, even for carnivorous fishes with elevated oxygen requirements.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Metacercarias de Digenea en Hyphessobrycon Wajat Almirón & Casciotta, 1999 en la laguna del Parque General Manuel Belgrano, Santa Fe

Los ambientes acuáticos urbanos brindan servicios ecosistémicos valiosos tales como esparcimiento, provisión de agua y control de inundaciones. Sin embargo, muchos de estos servicios entran en riesgo debido a la falta de monitoreo y medidas de manejo que garanticen el mantenimiento de su integridad biológica. El Parque General Manuel Belgrano (PGMB) se encuentra ubicado en la zona sur de la ciudad de Santa Fe y posee una laguna aislada del riacho Santa Fe por un terraplén artificial. Este cuerpo de agua contiene una comunidad de unas 20 especies de peces, con una alta abundancia del pequeño carácido Hyphessobrycon wajat. Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo estudiar los ectoparásitos asociados a la población de H. wajat residente en la laguna del PGMB.Asociación Parasitológica Argentin

Primer registro del hongo quitridio en Lithobates catesbeianus de Argentina: especies exóticas y conservación

Chytridiomycosis, a disease caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (B.d.), is recognized as one of the major factors of amphibian decline. Global trade of amphibians has been identified as one of the causes of B.d. spread, involving hundreds of species world wide. In this work we detected the presence of B.d. through histological examination on 5 out of 9 analyzed specimens of bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) from a farm in Santa Fe City (Argentina), deposited since 1993 in the herpetological collection of the Provincial Museum of Natural Sciences “Florentino Ameghino”. Our finding represents the oldest record of B.d. for Argentina and the first case of the chytrid fungus infecting the exotic bullfrog in this country. We emphasize the importance of determining and monitoring the distribution and spread of B.d in Argentina, particularly in areas where feral bullfrog populations have already been identified.La quitridiomicosis, enfermedad emergente producida por el hongo Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (B.d.), es reconocida como uno de los factores causantes de la declinación de anfibios. El comercio mundial de anfibios ha sido señalado como una de las fuentes de dispersión de B.d. En este trabajo se detectó la presencia de B.d. en la especie exótica rana toro (Lithobates catesbeianus) mediante cortes histológicos en 5 de 9 ejemplares provenientes de un criadero de la ciudad de Santa Fe (Argentina), depositados y conservados desde 1993 en la Colección Herpetológica del Museo Provincial de Ciencias Naturales “Florentino Ameghino”. Este registro representa el hallazgo más antiguo de B.d. en Argentina y el primer caso de este hongo en la rana toro exótica en el país; por lo que enfatizamos la importancia de determinar y monitorear la distribución y dispersión de B.d., particularmente en los sitios donde ya se han detectado poblaciones silvestres de rana toro.Instituto de Botánica "Dr. Carlos Spegazzini

Is the red spotted green frog Hypsiboas punctatus (Anura: Hylidae) selecting its preys?: The importance of prey availability

The study of the feeding ecology of amphibians is an old issue in herpetology. Notwithstanding, the lack of food resources data in many studies of amphibians feeding has lead to partial understanding of frog feeding strategies. In this study we evaluate the trophic selectivity of a red spotted green frog (Hypsiboas punctatus) population from a Middle Paraná River floodplain pond in Argentina, and discuss the importance of prey availability data when interpreting results from diet analysis. We analyzed the gut contents of 47 H. punctatus adults and compared frog’s diet with the environmental food resources. Prey availability was estimated by systematically seep-netting the microhabitat where anurans were localized foraging. We identified 33 taxonomic categories from gastrointestinal contents. Numerically, the most important prey categories were dipterans, followed by hemipterans, homopterans and coleopterans. The diet similarity between males and females was high and no statistical differences in diet composition were found. The most abundant food resources in the environment were dipterans, coleopterans, homopterans and collembolans. In order to assess whether frogs were selecting their preys, we calculated Pianka’s niche overlap index and Jacobs’ electivity index comparing gut contents to prey availability data. Trophic niche overlap was medium but significantly higher than expected by chance. The electivity index indicated that H. punctatus foraged dipterans slightly above their environmental abundance. Among the secondary preys, hemipterans were foraged selectively, homopterans were consumed in the same proportion to their occurrence in the environment, coleopterans were foraged quite under their availability and collembolans were practically ignored by frogs. Without food resources data, H. punctatus could be classified as a specialist feeder, but dipterans also were quite abundant in the environment. Our results show that H. punctatus fit better as a generalist feeder, foraging on their main food item and some secondary preys in similar proportion to their environmental availability; even though other secondary preys are being selectively preferred or ignored by frogs. Our data illustrate the importance of including the resource availability data on diet studies to improve the understanding of amphibian feeding ecology. Rev. Biol. Trop. 57 (3): 847-857. Epub 2009 September 30