Trophic structure of fish assemblages from Mamoré River floodplain lakes (Bolivia)

Abstract –  The fish assemblage of the floodplain of the Mamoré River (Bolivia) was estimated in eight lakes, corresponding to four habitat types, situated on an environmental gradient related to the river distance: lakes situated near the river, in the forested floodplain, at the floodplain edge and lakes isolated in the savanna. This paper documents the diet of 71 fish species (among the 140 recorded) and compares the taxonomic and trophic structure of fish assemblages between four lake types. The diet analysis was conducted to determine five trophic guilds: algivores/iliophages, herbivores, zooplanktivores, invertivores and piscivores. The taxonomic and trophic structures of the fish assemblages were not similar in the different lake types of the Mamoré River. The trophic structure of assemblages showed a coarse pattern of dominance of algivores/iliophages and invertivores, but different situations were observed in relative abundance of the trophic groups in relation to the spatial position of the lakes (except for piscivores). Lakes close to the river appeared more favourable to the microphages (algivores/iliophages, zooplanktivores) although remote lakes appeared more favourable to the macrophages (invertivores, herbivores). These results support the general idea that fish distribution follows a pattern linked to the ecology of the species, and related to environmental characteristics of the lakes.