Resumen de Hábitos alimentarios de las mojarras (Perciformes Cichlidae) de la laguna Caobas, Quintana Roo, México

María Teresa Valtierra-Vega, Juan J. Schmitter-Soto

• español

  Se estudió la alimentación de siete especies de cíclidos (Archocentrus octofasciatus, A. spilurus, "Cichlasoma" robertsoni , "C." synspilum, "C." urophthalmus , Petenia splendida, Thorichthys meeki) en la laguna Caobas, sur de la península de Yucatán. Los muestreos se llevaron a cabo durante las estaciones seca y lluviosa de 1995. Los ejemplares medían menos de 41 mm LP. Se evaluó la frecuencia de aparición y la abundancia de las presas. Los ítemes alimentarios predominantes fueron los quironómidos, ácaros, copépodos, cladóceros y ostrácodos. La mayoría de las mojarras se mostraron zooplanctófagas, con la excepción parcial de P. splendida (piscívora), "C." synspilum y A. spilurus (herbívoras). A. octofasciatus tuvo el más amplio espectro alimentario y se consideró omnívoro. Thorichthys meeki mostró cambios cuantitativos en la dieta por hora del día, talla del pez y estación del año, no así por sexo.

• English

  Feeding habits of seven cichlid species (Archocentrus octofasciatus, A. spilurus, "Cichlasoma" robertsoni, "C." synspilum, "C." urophthalmus, Petenia splendida, Thorichthys meeki) in Lake Caobas, southern Yucatan Peninsula, were studied. Samples were taken with enclosure and cast nets during the dry and rainy seasons of 1995 (day and night). The environment was characterized by measuring temperature, conductivity and pH. All individuals were below 41 mm SL (N=281). Frequency of occurrence and prey abundance were analyzed. Main prey items were chironomids, mites, copepods, cladocerans, and ostracods. The cichlids fed mainly on zooplankton, with the partial exceptions of P. splendida (piscivore), "C." synspilum and A. spilurus (herbivores). A cluster analysis showed that the most similar trophic spectra were those of T. meeki, "C." robertsoni and "C." salvini, which were also the least diverse. "C." synspilum and A. spilurus had an intermediate distance between their diets and those of other species. The species with the most distinctive feeding composition were P. splendida (with the most diverse and equitable diet) and the omnivore A. octofasciatus (whose diet was the richest one). T. meeki showed quantitative diel, ontogenetic, and seasonal diet changes, but none between sexes. "C." robertsoni, "C." salvini and "C." synspilum differ in food habits in Caobas and in other localities, a fact that underscores the trophic adaptability of cichlids. Trophic overlap between cichlids in Caobas could imply absence of competition, perhaps because resources are abundant in the ecosystem.