111 research outputs found

    Hypoxia adaptation in fish of the Amazon: a never-ending task

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    In addition to seasonal long-term changes in dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide, water bodies of the Amazon present periodic short-term episodes of hypoxia and even anoxia. To preserve gas exchange and acid base balance, fish of the Amazon have developed multiple adaptive solutions which occur at all biological levels. These solutions are thought to represent adaptive convergence rather than phylogenetic relatedness. Fish of the Amazon exposed to different experimental conditions adjust, for example, several parameters to improve oxygen transfer from the gas-exchange site to the tissues. These parameters include morphological changes such as the development of the lower lip in Colossoma, changes in ventilation rates, changes in circulatory parameters, increased circulating red blood cells, decreased levels of intraerythrocytic phosphates, and adjustments of intraerythrocytic pH (pHi). These adjustments that allow fish to survive both short- and long-term hypoxia occur in different degrees in different fish species and may or may not occur simultaneously. In addition, these adjustments in oxygen transfer affect many other parameters, particularly acid-base status. We suggest that these adjustments are initiated as soon as the animal detects the environmental change in oxygen availability and are mediated by a single factor, possibly one of the catecholamines. In this paper we aim to show that adaptation to hypoxia is a never-ending task for the fish of the Amazon

    O período da contaminação com petróleo influencia a rebrota de Echinochloa polystachya (H.B.K.) Hitchcock em solo de várzea da Amazônia central?

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    Several factors may influence the impact of oil on the environment. However, although it is understood that the effect of pollutants may change throughout the year according to seasonal variations in environmental parameters, this effect is poorly studied in the tropical region. The effects of Urucu's crude oil on the vegetative propagation and growth of Echinochloa polystachya were evaluated in a 63 days period, in two experiments, "A" (July-September) and "B" (September-November) planting the species in a greenhouse. In both experiments parts of stems were placed in 2 L of várzea soil contaminated by 6 oil doses, ranging from 0 to 0.231 L oil m-2 soil. In response to dosage increase there was a decrease of total biomass, ratio of live /total biomass, the leaf length and number of leaves. The period of planting influenced the response of plants to the dosage applied due to climate change, with negative effects in the "B" period of higher temperatures. We concluded that the exposure period influence the vegetative propagation and growth of the seedlings, being a spill in the period of the higher temperatures more dangerous for this specie

    Protein requirement of tambaqui juveniles (Colossoma macropomum) after feed deprivation

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    The aim of this work was evaluate protein requirement of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) juveniles after feed deprivation. During 60 days, fish (50,3 ± 0,26 g) were fed on four isoenergetics diets with different protein content (28, 32, 36 and 40% crude protein) at two feeding regimes (with and without feed deprivation) under completely random factorial design (4x2) in triplicate. Water quality parameters and performance index were evaluated at 1º, 15º and 60º days. Water quality parameters were kept at normal fish cultivation patterns. No mortality in the tested treatments. There were observed differences among treatments for performance indexes analyzed: growth rate, feed efficiency, daily feed consumption, crude protein consumption, efficiency protein rate and relative weight gain, except for hepatosomatic index. Hyperfagia was detected indicating the occurrence of compensatory growth. Fat content and body protein deposition increased in fishes refed on 36% of crude protein. These results explain some data observed belong the experiment like the increase of weight gain, of the hyperfagia time extension, of the growth rate and of the feed efficiency. Therefore those fish shows increase on weight gain, hyperfagia time, growth rate and feed efficiency. There is no influence of feed deprivation on protein requirement tambaqui juveniles.O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a exigência protéica de juvenis de tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) após a privação alimentar. Os peixes (50,3 ± 0,26g) foram submetidos a quatro rações isoenergéticas com diferentes concentrações protéicas (28, 32, 36 e 40% proteína bruta) e dois regimes alimentares (com privação e sem privação) durante 60 dias. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 4x2, em triplicata. Avaliaram-se os parâmetros de qualidade de água e de desempenho no 1º, 15º e 60º dia de experimento. Os parâmetros da qualidade da água permaneceram dentro dos padrões de cultivo. Não houve mortalidade nos tratamentos testados. Foram observados diferenças entre os tratamentos para os índices de desempenho analisadostaxa de crescimento específico, eficiência alimentar, consumo diário de ração, consumo de proteína bruta, taxa de eficiência protéica e ganho de peso relativo, com exceção do índice hepatossomático. Houve hiperfagia, indicando a existência de crescimento compensatório. Os peixes realimentados com 36% proteína bruta tiveram incremento no teor de gordura visceral e maior deposição de proteína corporal. Estes resultados explicam uma melhora nos dados de ganho de peso, duração da hiperfagia, taxa de crescimento e eficiência alimentar. A privação alimentar não influencia a exigência protéica em juvenis de tambaqui
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