Impact of urban and industrial sewage discharges on the trophic ecology of two wild native cyprinids in a Mediterranean stream
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1
University of Barcelona, Department of Animal Biology (Vertebrates), Faculty of Biology, Spain
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2
University of Barcelona , Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio), Faculty of Biology, Spain
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3
Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, Spain
Mediterranean Rivers have experienced a long-history of anthropogenic impacts. Water pollution is still one of the major threats to freshwater biota despite the marked investments in sewage treatment plants (STPs) in recent decades. This is attributed, in part, to the reduced water flow of these systems due to climate and water abstractions, coupled to some illegal spills and agricultural run-off. The present study examined the potential effects of the effluents from urban and industrial STPs on the trophic ecology of the Mediterranean barbel (Barbus meridionalis) and the Ebro chub (Squalius laietanus) in a small Mediterranean stream. Fish were collected in summer 2012 and their gut contents were compared between three reference and three polluted sites and related to the water quality. In all sampling sites, the composition of prey consumed by both fish species was compatible with ommivory, including macro-invertebrates, plants and detritus. However, the two fish species ingested a higher richness and diversity prey in the baseline compared to the polluted sites. These differences were also mirrored in the taxonomic composition of preys consumed, reflecting the replacement of sensitive species with tolerant ones along a pollution gradient. Specifically, fish diet was dominated in reference sites by water beetles and plant matter, whereas two typical representatives of polluted waters, snails and chironomids, were the predominant prey type downstream the STPs inputs. No major differences in richness, diversity and taxonomic composition were observed in the prey consumed within polluted or reference sites. Our results are consistent with the generalist trophic ecology of native cyprinids in Mediterranean rivers, and suggest a similar trophic position for B. meridionalis and S. laietanus. However, differences in the taxonomic composition of prey consumed between polluted and reference sites suggest that STP inputs may have altered the energy fluxes in this Mediterranean stream.
Keywords:
Barbus meridionalis,
Squalius laietanus,
Fish diet,
STPS,
River pollution
Conference:
XV European Congress of Ichthyology, Porto, Portugal, 7 Sep - 11 Sep, 2015.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Physiology, Behavior and Toxicology
Citation:
Vargas
S,
Colin
NF,
Maceda-Veiga
A and
De Sostoa
A
(2015). Impact of urban and industrial sewage discharges on the trophic ecology of two wild native cyprinids in a Mediterranean stream.
Front. Mar. Sci.
Conference Abstract:
XV European Congress of Ichthyology.
doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2015.03.00165
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Received:
23 Nov 2015;
Published Online:
28 Nov 2015.
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Correspondence:
Mr. Sergi Vargas, University of Barcelona, Department of Animal Biology (Vertebrates), Faculty of Biology, Barcelona, ES-08028, Spain, v.sergi@hotmail.com