Hábito alimentar e morfologia do trato digestivo de alguns peixes de poças de maré, no estado do Ceará, Brasil

Abstract

reef fish have a wide variety of adaptations for feeding, considering the greater diversity of shapes among reef fish. These fish can be divided into four major categories according to food tactics: detritivores, sweepers, herbivores and carnivores. The mode of feeding and the type of food are directly related to the shape of the body and the digestive apparatus, facilitating the capture and swallowing of the prey without difficulty. This work aims to describe the morphology of the digestive system and the eating habits of species that occur in the coast of Ceará. The fish were collected with nylon net and / or harpoon through free diving in tide pools. Anatomical-buccal and digestive tract characterization was carried out, followed by quantitative analysis of stomach contents. 107 stomachs were analyzed for 23 species belonging to 16 families. Similarities with the literature were observed regarding the feeding habits of some species, such as Sparisoma spp. and Lutjanus spp. The anatomical structures of Haemulon plumieri and Lutjanus apodus corresponded to the carnivorous eating habit, that is, they presented large and muscular stomachs, pyloric caecuses and short intestines, while Anisotremus virginicus, Bagre marinus and Labrisomus nuchipinnis presented structures that differed with their trophic classification, such as absence pyloric caeca and relatively long intestine for carnivorous species.