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Communication

Feeding Ecology of Sicydium bustamantei (Greeff 1884, Gobiidae) Post-Larvae: The “Little Fish” of São Tomé Island

by
Vânia Baptista
1,*,
Ester Dias
2,
Joana Cruz
1,
Maria Branco
3,
Sara Vieira
3 and
Maria Alexandra Teodósio
1
1
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
2
Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
3
Associação Programa Tatô—Sítio da Pedragosa, 8600-013 Barão de São João, Portugal
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Oceans 2020, 1(4), 300-310; https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans1040020
Submission received: 28 August 2020 / Revised: 29 October 2020 / Accepted: 30 October 2020 / Published: 5 November 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Larval Biology and Ecology)
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Abstract

The rivers of São Tomé Island are colonized by Sicydium bustamantei (Greeff 1882), an amphidromous fish that spawns in those areas. After hatching, larvae drift to the ocean with the river flow. In the marine realm, the planktonic larvae develop and migrate to freshwater as post-larvae. The migrations of post-larvae support important local fisheries at the mouth of rivers in tropical volcanic islands. Amphidromous post-larvae rely on plankton as their main source of organic matter. However, the biology and ecology of S. bustamantei in the West African islands are understudied, despite its importance for local fisheries. Thus, this study aimed to start bridging this gap by studying its feeding ecology. Our objectives were to identify the main prey of S. bustamantei post-larvae, combining gut content with stable isotope analyses. The gut contents included zooplankton (Chaetognatha, Ostracoda, and unidentified crustaceans), debris from plant and/or macroalgae-derived material, and microplastics (including microfibers). The stable isotopes analysis indicated that zooplankton and macroalgae detritus were the main sources of organic matter assimilated by this species. We also demonstrated that S. bustamantei post-larvae are omnivorous and secondary consumers. These data provide pioneering information that can be used in management plans that still need to be developed.
Keywords: Eastern Atlantic; isotopic analysis; gut contents; zooplankton; microplastics Eastern Atlantic; isotopic analysis; gut contents; zooplankton; microplastics
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MDPI and ACS Style

Baptista, V.; Dias, E.; Cruz, J.; Branco, M.; Vieira, S.; Teodósio, M.A. Feeding Ecology of Sicydium bustamantei (Greeff 1884, Gobiidae) Post-Larvae: The “Little Fish” of São Tomé Island. Oceans 2020, 1, 300-310. https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans1040020

AMA Style

Baptista V, Dias E, Cruz J, Branco M, Vieira S, Teodósio MA. Feeding Ecology of Sicydium bustamantei (Greeff 1884, Gobiidae) Post-Larvae: The “Little Fish” of São Tomé Island. Oceans. 2020; 1(4):300-310. https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans1040020

Chicago/Turabian Style

Baptista, Vânia, Ester Dias, Joana Cruz, Maria Branco, Sara Vieira, and Maria Alexandra Teodósio. 2020. "Feeding Ecology of Sicydium bustamantei (Greeff 1884, Gobiidae) Post-Larvae: The “Little Fish” of São Tomé Island" Oceans 1, no. 4: 300-310. https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans1040020

APA Style

Baptista, V., Dias, E., Cruz, J., Branco, M., Vieira, S., & Teodósio, M. A. (2020). Feeding Ecology of Sicydium bustamantei (Greeff 1884, Gobiidae) Post-Larvae: The “Little Fish” of São Tomé Island. Oceans, 1(4), 300-310. https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans1040020

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