Alexandro Cezar Florentino

Distribution pattern of crustacean ectoparasites of freshwater fish from Brazil

The purpose of this study was to use the informations relating to parasite crustaceans species that was published over the course of one century (1913 to 2013), in order to search for infestation and distribution patterns among these ectoparasites in Brazilian freshwater fish species. This search was carried out on 445 samples of 119 host fish of 27 families within the orders Characiformes, Perciformes, Clupeiformes, Mugiliformes, Osteoglossiformes, Symbranchiformes, Tetraodontiformes and Siluriformes from various regions of Brazil. We organized different host-parasite systems into matrices grouping species at different taxonomic and infestation levels and according to host parameters. Five families of parasites (Ergasilidae, Argulidae, Lernaeidae, Lernaeopodidae and Cymothoidae) distributed into 76 species of 27 genera were analyzed in the host samples, which presented dominance of Ergasilidae species, mainly from the genus Ergasilus. Some crustaceans are host and site-specific, especially in relation to fish in particular habitats and lifestyles (e.g. Perulernaea gamitanae, Anphira branchialis and Riggia paranensis), while other parasites frequently have no preference (e.g. Lernaea cyprinacea and Braga patagonica). We found broadly similar distribution patterns for some crustacean species among the different localities, whereas other species showed well-defined geographical patterns, and these findings were discussed.

Fish species diversity in headwaters streams of Paraguay and Paraná Basins

The influence of spatial, temporal and environmental factors on fish species diversity in headwater streams in Paraguay and Parana basins, Brazil was examined. A total of 4,605 individuals were sampled, distributed in 60 species. The sampled streams in Parana basin presented a larger total species richness (42) than Paraguay streams (40). However the estimated richness was larger in Paraguay basin (53) than Parana streams (50). The streams of Parana basin had a greater mean species richness and evenness, while more individuals per sample were found in the Paraguay basin. Difference between the sub-basins were found in the Paraguay basin, while for the basin of Parana, richness and evenness vary significantly between the sub-basins, but the number of individuals varied seasonally. The most important environmental factors to species diversity and abundance were altitude, water temperature, stream width and stream depth for both the basins.

High beta diversity of fishes in vegetated littoral zones of floodplain lakes in the Cuiabá River Basin, northern Pantanal, Brazil

This study evaluated whether the alpha and beta diversity of fishes in vegetated littoral zones of floodplain lakes in the Pantanal are randomly distributed on three different spatial scales: within the lake, among lakes, and between regions. Three alternative hypotheses were contrasted: (1) that regional diversity is generated at local scale, depending on the internal environmental heterogeneity of lakes, (2) that the diversity of fishes in floodplain lakes is produced at intermediate spatial scales, depending on structural differences and on the landscape matrix between lakes, and (3) that the diversity of fishes in the littoral zone is generated at regional scale, due to regional differences in land-use pattern and the presence of a geographical barrier represented by the river. Our results indicate that the regional diversity of fishes in the vegetated littoral zone of lakes in the northern Pantanal is a consequence of high diversity at the local level (α) and the wide differences in species composition among lakes and between regions. This suggests that we need to maintain environmental heterogeneity, represented by the structural differences among the lakes and their landscape matrix as well as regional differences in the flood pattern, if we hope to preserve the diversity of fishes in the region. Besides, it is necessary to establish new conservation units at the different Pantanal subregions, which should incorporate a set of lakes with different landscape features such as size, shape, and distance from and degree of connection to rivers.

Determinants of changes in fish diversity and composition in floodplain lakes in two basins in the Pantanal wetlands, Brazil

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of physical characteristics on fish assemblages. To this end, we studied 42 lakes distributed in two river basins of the Brazilian Pantanal: the Negro River basins in the South Pantanal and the Cuiabá River basins in the North Pantanal. We hypothesized that fish diversity and composition change significantly between these basins in response to physical differences and landscape structure (the geographical position of the basins). The alternative hypothesis was that local assemblages are distributed randomly between the two basins because of a regional homogenizing factor in the system. Our analysis suggests that the physical characteristics (lake area, depth and distance from the river margin) and the effect of geographical position of the basin were the main factors determining the organization of fish assemblages in these basins. This would indicate that regional fish diversity is not uniform over large areas of these Pantanal floodplains, but that communities close to each other are more similar than those that are further apart. Although there was a small variation between the lakes, this was not sufficient to affect the communities of both basins, either in composition or in diversity. Our study also supports the hypothesis that fish assemblages in the littoral zone of the Cuiabá River are richer and more diverse than assemblages in the corresponding area of the Negro River and that these differences are related to landscape characteristics. Hence, our results strongly suggest that area lake, depth, position of the basin, and smaller contribution of distance from the river margin are the key factor determining fish assemblage structure in floodplain lakes in the Cuiabá River and Negro River basins.

Assessing the potential of a protected area for fish conservation in a neotropical wetland

Freshwater habitats are among the most impacted ecosystem on Earth. Consequently, reserves have been implemented in an attempt to reduce the threat to freshwater biodiversity. However, few studies have evaluated how effective these protected areas (PA) are for the conservation of freshwater organisms. In the present study, we compared species richness, community composition and density of small-bodied fishes between lagoons within an eight-year-old reserve (i.e. protected lagoons) with those outside the reserve (i.e. unprotected lagoons) in a river-floodplain system that is exposed to seasonal flooding. The unprotected lagoons have been submitted to a light fishing pressure mainly targeting small-sized fishes for sale as baits. Our results showed no differences between the lagoons inside the reserve with those outside in any of the community properties measured. However, we registered an overall tendency of abundance reduction among the species used as baits in unprotected lagoons. Considering the high degree of oversight in the PA and the low fishing pressure among unprotected lagoons, it is possible that the positive effects promoted by the reserve on fish assemblages are being exported towards unprotected lagoons and thus offsetting a portion of the anthropogenic impacts. We conclude that the protection provided by the reserve is very efficient in river-floodplain systems, because not only it protects the biota inside the reserve but also act as a source of propagules to unprotected areas during the rainy season when all the aquatic subsystems are connected by the flood.

Socioeconomic evaluation of fish farmers in the municipality of Porto Grande, Amapá, Brazil

The characterization of the socioeconomic profile isanessential tool for various types of analysis, whe nonewantsto know the relations of social processes, economic production over a givenarea, the living conditions of a particular community orgroup of people, and howto determine Its patternofgrowth and development. The present study aimed to evaluate the socioeconomic profile of fishfarmers in the city of Porto Grande, Amapa, Brazil. Eighteen fishfarmers wereinterviewed, as a methodological support, weused qualitative and quantitative research, with application of forms, in these are exposed structured and semi-structured questions. With statistical analysis encompassingallstages of descriptive statistics. The main research findings are the predominance of males in the activity, the mean age of 48.07 ± years, the majority of respondents are married. In school, therewas a predominance of incomplete fundamental level. Fish farmingis not presented as exclusive income, requiring supplementation to meet the needs of families, including agriculture. From the seresults, it was possibleto analyze a range of situations that were never discussed in o thers cientific studies for this region, which praises the importance of this socioeconomic survey.

Avaliação socioeconômica dos piscicultores do Município de Porto Grande, Amapá, Brasil

A caracterizacao do perfil socioeconomico e uma ferramenta essencial para diversos tipos de analises, quando se quer saber as relacoes dos processos sociais, a producao economica sobre uma determinada area, as condicoes de vida de uma determinada comunidade ou grupo de pessoas, assim, como determinar o seu padrao de crescimento e desenvolvimento. O presente estudo teve objetivo avaliar o perfil socioeconomico de piscicultores do municipio de Porto Grande, Amapa, Brasil. Foram entrevistados dezoito piscicultores, como suporte metodologico, utilizou-se a pesquisa qualitativa e quantitativa, com aplicacao de formularios, nestes estao expostas perguntas estruturadas e semiestruturadas. Com analise estatistica englobando todas as etapas da estatistica descritiva. Os principais resultados da investigacao sao a predominância do sexo masculino na atividade, a idade media de 48,07± anos, em sua maioria os entrevistados sao casados. Na escolaridade, houve predominância do nivel fundamental incompleto. A piscicultura nao e apresentada como renda exclusiva, precisando de complementacoes para suprir as necessidades das familias, entre elas a agricultura. A partir desses resultados, foi possivel analisar um leque de situacoes, que nunca foram discutidas em outros trabalhos cientificos para essa regiao, o que enaltece a importância desse levantamento socioeconomico.

Patterns of the parasite communities in a fish assemblage of a river in the Brazilian Amazon region

This paper characterizes the pattern of ectoparasite and endoparasite communities in an assemblage of 35 sympatric fish from different trophic levels in a tributary from the Amazon River system, northern Brazil. In detritivorous, carnivorous, omnivorous and piscivorous hosts, the species richness consisted of 82 ectoparasites and endoparasites, but protozoan ectoparasites such as Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, Piscinoodinium pillulare and Tripartiella sp. were dominant species predominated, such that they were present in 80% of the hosts. The taxon richness was in the following order: Monogenea > Nematoda > Digenea > Crustacea > Protozoa > Acanthocephala = Cestoda > Hirudinea. Among the hosts, the highest number of parasitic associations occurred in Satanoperca jurupari, Aequidens tetramerus, Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus, Hoplosternum littorale, Cichlasoma amazonarum, Chaetobranchus flavescens, Squaliforma emarginata, Chaetobranchopsis orbicularis and Hoplias malabaricus.A weak positive correlation between ectoparasite abundance and length of the hosts was observed. Ectoparasite communities of detritivorous, carnivorous and omnivorous hosts were similar, but these differed from the communities of piscivorous hosts. Larval endoparasite species with low host specificity were the main determinants of the parasite infracommunity structure of the fish assemblage. Fish assemblage had few species of helminth that were specialist endoparasites, while many were parasites at the larval stage, infecting intermediate and paratenic hosts. Finally, carnivorous and omnivorous hosts harbored endoparasite communities that were more heterogeneous than those of detritivorous and piscivorous hosts. This result lends supports to the notion that the feeding habits of the host species are a significant factor in determining the endoparasites fauna.

FATTY ACID ETHYL ESTERS FROM MICROALGAE OF Scenedesmus ecornis BY ENZYMATIC AND ACID CATALYSIS

Gabryelle F. de Almeidaa, Pedro H. F. de Araújob, Alexandro C. Florentinob, Roberto M. Bezerrab, José C. T. Carvalhoa, Silvia M. M. Faustinoa and Irlon M. Ferreirab,* Departamento de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Colegiado de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Amapá, Rod. JK, km 02, 68903-758 Macapá – AP, Brasil Grupo de Biocatálise e Biotransformação em Química Orgânica, Colegiado de Química, Universidade Federal do Amapá, Rod. JK, km 02, 68902-280 Macapá – AP, Brasil

RELAÇÃO PESO-COMPRIMENTO E O FATOR DE CONDIÇÃO DO JARAQUI, (PROCHILODONTIDAE: Semaprochilodus spp.) NO MUNICÍPIO DE MANACAPURU, AMAZONAS

O consumo elevado de jaraqui Semaprochilodus spp. possui grande importância socio-economica para o municipio de Manacapuru-AM, e a pressao exercida sobre esse estoque fez com o presente estudo avaliasse os tamanhos (cm), a relacao peso-comprimento e o fator de condicao do jaraqui (Semaprochilodus spp.) desembarcado nos terminais pesqueiros de Manacapuru/AM no ano de 2009. Um total de 750 exemplares de Semaprochilodus spp foram medidos, o desvio padrao correspondeu a 49,782. O tamanho medio do Semaprochilodus spp. desembarcado foi de 20,59±1,3 cm. A relacao peso-comprimento foi Pt = 0,091*Cp2,591 e r2 = 0,632 e o valor de b foi menor que 3, desta forma, o crescimento pode ser considerado alometrico negativo (tc < t2;0,05;750; p< 0,05). O fator de condicao permaneceu com valores proximos a um durante todo o periodo de amostragem. No entanto, nao houve referencias especificas do fator de condicao para essa especie que possibilitassem comparacoes com o resultado do presente estudo. Esses parâmetros deverao ser utilizados como ferramentas na elaboracao de medidas de legislacao pesqueira, e, em conjunto ao tamanho minimo de captura e periodo de defeso, nortearao medidas de monitoramento e conservacao desta especie.