Abstract
The processes that determine the coexistence of phylogenetically close species are very complex, particularly when species introduction leads to sympatry among species that did not co-evolved. We evaluated possible differences in δ13C and δ15N signatures between two piranha species (Serrasalmus marginatus and S. maculatus), in a system where S. marginatus invaded 30 years ago (floodplain ponds in the Upper Paraná River). We predicted that carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values would not differ between piranha species. Additionally, we evaluated the abundance (CPUE) of both piranha populations along the years (1986–2015). Native and non-native Serrasalmus species have different δ13C signatures, likely exploiting different energy pathways on the food web. Overall, native and non-native piranhas have similar δ15N values and occupy the third trophic level in the food web. Regarding the two piranha population fluctuations, there was an inversion of dominance after the non-native species establishment, where S. marginatus became dominant over S. maculatus (after 1988). Our results showed that trophic niche dimension (revealed by trophic segregation) is not the reason of the observed inversion in the dominant species, and this could be a primary factor driving the persistence of the native species in the ecosystem.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank Nupélia/UEM, the CNPq/SISBIOTA project, the Graduate Program in Ecology of Continental Aquatic Environments (Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais - PEA); CNPq/PELD for financial support and infrastructure to develop the study; and CNPq and CAPES for the scholarship granted to Gustavo H. Z. Alves, Bruno R. S. Figueiredo, Raffael M. Tófoli, and Patrícia A. Sacramento. We are also grateful to three anonymous referees for providing valuable suggestions. This work was partially supported by CAPES, an organ of the Brazilian Government for the training of human resources.
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Alves, G.H.Z., Figueiredo, B.R.S., Manetta, G.I. et al. Trophic segregation underlies the coexistence of two piranha species after the removal of a geographic barrier. Hydrobiologia 797, 57–68 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3159-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3159-6