Cost of territorial maintenance by Parodon nasus (Osteichthyes: Parodontidae) in a Neotropical stream

• Main Authors: Samuel Elias Silva, Wilhan R. C. Assunção, Charles Duca, Jerry Penha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia
• Series: Neotropical Ichthyology
• Subjects: Spatial distribution; Territory size; Foraging; Resting time; Territory defense
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-62252009000400017&lng=en&tlng=en

The combined demand over a certain resource may exceed its immediate supply, which can then lead to competition between individuals. This competition may result in territorial behavior. In this study we determine the density and spatial distribution, describe the interactions arising from territorial behavior and evaluate the costs of keeping the territories defended by adults of Parodon nasus. The study was conducted in Camarinha Stream located in the Serra das Araras Ecological Station, Porto Estrela, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The density was constant throughout the length of the stream, with a mean (± standard deviation) of 1.01 ind./m² (± 0.14). Our results show that the spatial distribution of individuals in the area ranged between uniform and random. The territories were defended more often against intraspecific than interspecific intruders. The time that the owners of the territories devoted to defending them was not influenced by the size of the territories. However, owners of larger territories spent more time foraging than owners of smaller territories. As a result, owners of larger territories had less time to rest than owners of smaller territories. The results of this study show behavioral patterns relevant to understanding the relationship between size and territorial maintenance cost of P. nasus and other species of fish with territorial behavior.