title: Do different degrees of human activity affect the diet of Brazilian silverside Atherinella brasiliensis?
abstract: The aim of the present study was to test whether different degrees of human activity affect the diet of the Brazilian silverside Atherinella brasiliensis in two tropical estuaries. Fish were collected along the salinity gradient of two Brazilian estuaries, the heavily impacted Paraiba Estuary and the less impacted Mamanguape Estuary, in the dry and wet seasons. The findings confirm that A. brasiliensis has generalist feeding habits and is able to change its diet under different environmental conditions. The results indicate clear spatial (i.e. along the estuarine gradient) changes in diet composition in both estuaries, but diet was also influenced by the degree of anthropogenic disturbance. During the wet season in the nutrient enriched Paraiba Estuary, when human activity was higher, the diet of A. brasiliensis was poorer and dominated by few dietary items, reflecting the potential impoverishment of prey items in this heavily disturbed system. The specimens collected in the most affected estuary also had a greater frequency of micro-plastics and parasites in their stomachs, reflecting the greater degree of human disturbance in the estuary. The present findings suggest that the diet of A. brasiliensis could be a useful indicator of changes in the ecological quality of these and other tropical estuaries of the western Atlantic Ocean.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Applied Biological and Social Sciences, State University of Paraiba, Campus V, Horacio Trajano Street, Cristo Redentor, 58070-450, João Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil.
authors.forename: V E N
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Patrício
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Ecology and Conservation, Paraiba State University, 58429-500, Campina Grande, Brazil.|Biology Department & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dolbeth
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Ecology and Conservation, Paraiba State University, 58429-500, Campina Grande, Brazil.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pessanha
authors.affiliation: Department of Systematics and Ecology, Federal University of Paraiba, Cidade Universitaria, Castelo Branco, 58051-900, João Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil.
authors.forename: A R T
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.affiliation: Centre for Applied Biological and Social Sciences, State University of Paraiba, Campus V, Horacio Trajano Street, Cristo Redentor, 58070-450, João Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil.|Postgraduate Program in Ecology and Conservation, Paraiba State University, 58429-500, Campina Grande, Brazil.
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Dantas
authors.affiliation: Centre for Applied Biological and Social Sciences, State University of Paraiba, Campus V, Horacio Trajano Street, Cristo Redentor, 58070-450, João Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Vendel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D001938:Brazil; D004032:Diet; D004777:Environment; D063366:Estuaries; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents; D006802:Human Activities; D006801:Humans; D054712:Salinity; D012621:Seasons; D023701:Smegmamorpha / Q000502:physiology*; D014329:Tropical Climate
keywords: ecological indicator; generalist fish; omnivory; resident fish; tropical estuaries