Crescimento, recrutamento e mortalidade do pequi Moenkhausia intermédia (Osteichthyes, Characidae) na planície de inundação do alto rio Paraná, Brasil

Abstract

Moenkhausia intermedia is a small-sized important prey for other species of fish, birds and other carnivores that inhabit the floodplain, and it is an important link in the tropic web of this ecosystem. The aim of this study was to estimate the growth parameters, time of recruitment and mortality of M. intermedia, in the floodplain of Upper Paraná river. The samples were carried out monthly from March 1993 to February 1994, using dragnets. The results of the growth parameters, recruitment and mortality were assessed using “Compleat ELEFAN” program. The assintotic length estimate was 10cm and the growth rate (K) 0.30. The recruitment pattern presented two annual pulses related to the reproductive period of the species. Total mortality was 4.88, which is considered extremely high.