Experiments on the feeding behavior of the hematophagous candiru, Vandellia cf. plazaii

• Published in: Environmental biology of fishes Vol. 60; no. 4; pp. 459 - 464
• Main Authors: SPOTTED, Stephen, PETRY, Paulo, ZUANON, Jansen A. S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.01.2001; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Amino acids; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Aquariums; Attractants; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Carassius auratus; Cichlasoma amazonarum; Feeding behavior; Fish; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Vandellia plazaii; Vertebrata; South America; Brazil; America; Attractant; Predator prey relation; Feeding behavior; Chemical compound; Blood sucking; Predatory behavior; Experimental study; Freshwater environment; Vertebrata; Carassius auratus; Pisces; Visual cue; Stream; Prey selection
• ISSN: 0378-1909; 1573-5133
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1011081027565

Hematophagous candirus (family Trichomycteridae, Vandellia cf. plazaii) did not respond to potential chemical attractants (ammonia, amino acids, fresh fish slime, and human urine) added to their aquarium water. They seemed to respond visually to live goldfish, Carassius auratus, and Amazonian cichlids, Cichlasoma amazonarum. One hypothesis tested is that the goldfish (an ostariophysan) might be preferred to the cichlid (a perciform fish). Goldfish were attacked first significantly more often when both prey species were present (one-sided difference in proportions test, N = 15, p = 0.02). However, neither the elapsed time to the first attack nor the duration of the attacks differed significantly (Mann-Whitney's U-test, N = 32, p = 0.27, and p = 0.92). These two species seemed incapable (goldfish) or weakly capable (cichlid) of avoiding or repelling candiru attacks.