title: Astronotus ocellatus (Cichlidae:Pisces) and Macropodus opercularis (Anabatidae:Pisces) as predators of immature Aedes fluviatilis (Diptera:Culicidae) and Biomphalaria glabrata (Mollusca:Planorbidae).
abstract: Two fish species, Astronotus ocellatus (Cichlidae) and Macropodus opercularis (Anabatidae) were tested for predacious behavior toward immature mosquitoes (Aedes fluviatilis, Diptera:Culicidae) and schistosomiasis snail hosts (Biomphalaria glabrata, Mollusca:Planorbidae), in the presence or absence of non-living food and in laboratory conditions. A. ocellatus, a species indigenous to Brazil, was a very efficient predator of both organisms (alpha = 0.05); M. opercularis, an exotic species, preyed well on immature mosquitoes, but small snails and snail egg-masses were ingested only irregularly. Both fish species seemed to prefer live to non-living food.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Consoli
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: do Carmo
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: dos Santos
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes; D000818:Animals; D001700:Biomphalaria; D005399:Fishes; D009032:Mosquito Control / Q000379:methods; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*