Pygocentrus Piraya

istributio First record of (Cuvier 1819) D (Characiformes: Serrasalmidae), a new predatory species 1* 1* 2 2 raphic g introduction 1in the middle and lower Doce River Basin eo Frederico Belei , Wagner Martins Santana Sampaio , Thiago José Millani , Alessandro Trazzi and G n

o Jorge Abdala Dergam

1 Universidade Federal de Viçosa,[email protected] Departamento de Biologia Animal. CEP 36570-000. Viçosa, MG, Brazil. otes 2 CTA, Centro Tecnológico em Aqüicultura e Meio Ambiente CEP 29062-030. Vitória, ES, Brazil. N * Corresponding author. E-mail:

Abstract: P. piraya

This is the first report of the occurrence of in the Doce River. The introduction of this species adversely affects the fish community, mainly through competition and predation of native species.

et al. ; The Characiformes Family Serrasalmidae is known by in the Doce River Basin (Sunaga and Verani 1985; 1991; pacus and piranhas. The distribution of Serrasalmidae is Godinho and Formagio 1992; Godinho 1994 Petrere- strictly neotropical and the presence of representatives in Junior and Latini 2004). other regions of the world is due to their introductionPygocentrus into A series of environmental impacts occur afteret al. species the environment. The Family comprises around 80 species introduction, such as competition, predation, transmission distributedPygocentrus on 15 piraya genera (Jégu 2003) of which of pathogens, diseases and parasites (Smith 2005; with three species (Fink 1993). Tundisi 2006), reduced fertility rate of nativeet al. species, (Cuvier 1819) is popularly known economic and social losses, hybridization, introgression etas althe black piranha (Figure 1) and has a medium-sized and extinction of species (Novak 2007; Alves 2007). tall body which is extremely laterally compressedet al (Britski This study was conducted in six regions of the Doce . 2007). This species, widely distributed throughout River, two in Guandu River and two in Manhuaçu River. the São Francisco River basin (Britski . 1986), differs These regions extend from the town of Colatina, Espírito from the other species byPygocentrys a rayed adipose fin (Fink 1993). Santo State (ES) to Resplendor, Minas Gerais State (MG), Some species of the Family Serrasalmidae as the Brazil, where the Mascarenhas and Aimorés hydroelectric piranhas of the genus have the ability to plants are located. The animals were collected with gill nets adapt to new environments, especially those with lentic and were preserved in formalin 10%. Voucher specimens characteristics,et al. such as lakes and reservoirset al. (Agostinho were deposited in the fish collection of the Museu de and Júlio-Junior 1999; Camargo and Queiroz 2005; Zoologia João Moojen, Universidade Federal de Viçosa Agostinho 2007; Duponchelle 2007). In Brazil (Voucher - MZUFV 3946), Minas Gerais, Brazil. Fishes were these biologicalSalminus characteristicsbrasiliensis haveet al been historically collected under the IBAMA (02001.009572/2009-15) andP. associated to sport fishing, since the introductionunpubl of the pirayaIEMA license (09/09-NUPESCA/DIPRAM/ES). dourado (Alves . 2007) and in the We collected 12 individuals of the black piranha last decades, to aquaculture activities (Dergam .). in only three regions during the inventory of the This biodiversity-erosive process is well documented ichthyofauna made between the middle and lower reaches of the Doce River (Figure 2). Through information obtained from local fishermen, it is possible that the black piranha may have been introduced into the region due to accidental escapes from regional breeding farms. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that this species has been introduced through stocking actions. These two possibilities are considered since the introduction of exotic species may be related to an increase in fishery resources (Delariva and Agostinho 1999) or accidental escapes from breeding tanks (Orsí and Figure 1. Pygocentrus piraya Agostinho 1999). in situ Photographic record of the black piranha Thus, the black Clarias piranha gariepinus is considered exotic in the collected in the lower and middle course of the Doce River, states of MG Doce River and was probably introduced , as was and ES, Brazil (Voucher specimens - MZUFV 3946). the African catfish (Burchell 1822) in 787 Belei et al. | Pygocentrus piraya in the middle and lower Doce River Basin

et al. P. nattereri the states of Minas Gerais (Alves 1999)et and al. Bahia of the black piranha in the Doce River. We can therefore (Rocha 2008) and the red piranha and other assume that the number of native and exotic species in the Pygocentrusexotic fish (Godinho and Formagio 1992; Alves 2007) Doce River is underestimated. that occur in the Doce River. The species of piranhas The introduction of the black piranha is a worrying introduced in the Doce Riveret alwere identified situation with regard to environmental balance, since this etfrom al morphological characteristics identified in studies species has the ability to reproduce throughout the year conducted in the São Francisco (Britski . 1986; Britski in areas with lentic characteristics (Pinto-Coelho 2006). . 2007) and taxonomic revision carried out by Fink Moreover, it is considered an important predator and (1993). competitor, limiting the survival of native fish species. The It is likely that the black piranha has become established introduction of exotic species is the second leading cause of in the region due to a preference for regions of lentic extinction in the world (Clavero and García-Berthou 2005). water, as can be found in the hydroelectric reservoirs of Currently, the introduction of exotic fish is considered one the middle and lower Doce River, as observed in the study of the factors responsible for modifying the structure of by Luz (2009) for Lake Curralinho (middle São Francisco), native ichthyofauna, generating a series of ecological and and in Três Marias reservoir (Pinto-Coelho 2006). socio-environmental problems (Vitule 2009). This already This study is the first report the black piranhaet al. occurs in the lower Doce River basin, due to the existence occurrence along the Doce River Basin. Other studies such of several exotic species, and has generated the need for as those of Godinho and Formagio (1992), Alves corrective or preventive actions to preserve the native fish (2007) and Vieira (2009) did not identify the occurrence fauna (Vieira 2009).

Figure 2. Pygocentrus piraya

The black circles represent the regions where individuals of the black piranha were collected. MG: Minas Gerais state; ES: Espirito Santo state. Acknowledgments: Implications of Aquaculture Activities

The authors thank EDP and CTA for the logistical Clarias gariepinus . Dordrecht: Springer. help; IBAMA for issuing the collection and capture permits, the president Alves, C.B.M., V. Vono and F. Vieira. 1999. Presence ofRevista the walking Brasileira catfish de of the Associação de Pescadores Renovo do Vale, Silas Cardoso, and the Zoologia (Burchell, 1822) (Siluriformes: Clariidae) in secretary general, João Pereira Borba, for allowing us to use the space and Minas Gerais state hydrographic basins, ManualBrazil. de identificação de assisting in the structuring and piloting of this study; and Luana Perin, peixes da 16(1): região 259-263. de Três Marias (com chaves de identificação para os Vera Ferran, Marco Mathias and anonymous referees for their important Britski,peixes H.A., da bacia Y. Sato do and São A.B.S.Francisco). Rosa. 1986. considerations in the manuscript. Peixes do Pantanal: Literature Cited manual de identificação. Volume II. Brasília: Codevasf. 115 p. Britski, H.A., K.Z.S. Silimon and. B.S. Lopes. 2007. In Ecologia de Pygocentrus nattereri Volume II. Brasília: Embrapa. 230 p. Agostinho,comunidades A.A. and de peixes H.F. Júlio-Júnior. tropicais 1999. Peixes da bacia do alto rio Camargo, M. and H. Queiroz 2005. Um ensaio sobre Uakari a adaptação de Paraná; p. 374-400 R.H. Lowe-McConnell (ed.).Ecologia e Manejo à variação sazonal das águas do lago Mamirauá: de Recursos Pesqueiros em Reservatórios. São Paulo: do EDUSP. Brasil Reserva eixesde Desenvolvimento de Água doce do Sustentável Rio Doce: na Mamirauá. área de influência 1(1): da UHE 65- Agostinho, A.A., L.C. Gomes and F. M. Pelicice. 2007. Mascarenhas.70. . Maringá: EDUEM. CTA. 2009. P 501 p. Vitória: CTA/EDP.Trends 74 p. in Ecology and Evolution Alves, C.B.M., F. Vieira, A.L.B. MagalhãesIn and M.F.G.Ecological Brito. 2007. and Impacts Genetic Clavero, M. and E. García-Berthou. 2005. Invasive species are a leading of non-native fish species in Minas Gerais, Brazil: present situation cause of animal extinctions. 20(3): and prospects. p. 291-314 T.M. Bert (ed.). 110. 788 Belei et al. | Pygocentrus piraya in the middle and lower Doce River Basin

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