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Impact of the Três Marias dam on the reproduction of the forage fish Astyanax bimaculatus and A. fasciatus from the São Francisco River, downstream from the dam, southeastern Brazil

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Abstract

Alterations to the hydrologic regime downstream from hydroelectric dams include thermal disturbances which may have an impact on the reproductive success of fish. In order to make a comparative analysis of forage fish reproduction in two sections of the São Francisco River downstream from the Três Marias hydroelectric power plant, we captured 606 specimens of Astyanax fasciatus (n = 465) and A. bimaculatus (n = 141) at 2-month intervals between November 2009 and October 2010. Fish were captured in two sections of the São Francisco River: section 1, encompassing the first 34 km immediately downstream from the dam; section 2, after the confluence with the Abaeté River, 34–54 km downstream from the dam. The canonical correlation test indicated that for both species, female reproduction is more dependent on environmental factors than male reproduction. Compared to section 1, the specimens captured in section 2 were more abundant and the females of both species presented larger total length, body weight, gonadosomatic index and fecundity values. Higher values of water temperature, dissolved oxygen and turbidity during the rainy season (September to February) were also recorded for section 2, when compared to section 1 where the physical–chemical conditions of the water do not favour reproduction. Based on this analysis of reproductive parameters, this study shows, for the first time, that the reproductive activity of two species of forage fishes, A. fasciatus and A. bimaculatus, from the section of the São Francisco River immediately downstream from the Três Marias dam is disrupted and that the Abaeté River is an important tributary for the reproductive success of these species.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Hydrobiology and Hatchery Station of Três Marias, CODEVASF for their technical support; CAPES, FAPEMIG and CNPq for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia de Vertebrados, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Av. Dom José Gaspar, 500, 30535-610, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Felipe Talin Normando & Nilo Bazzoli

  2. Estação de Hidrobiologia e Piscicultura de Três Marias, Companhia de Desenvolvimento dos Vales do São Francisco e do Parnaíba, 39205-000, Três Marias, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Kleber Biana Santiago & Marcos Vinícius Teles Gomes

  3. Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), 30161-970, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Elizete Rizzo

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  1. Felipe Talin Normando
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  2. Kleber Biana Santiago
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  3. Marcos Vinícius Teles Gomes
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  4. Elizete Rizzo
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  5. Nilo Bazzoli
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Correspondence to Nilo Bazzoli.

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Normando, F.T., Santiago, K.B., Gomes, M.V.T. et al. Impact of the Três Marias dam on the reproduction of the forage fish Astyanax bimaculatus and A. fasciatus from the São Francisco River, downstream from the dam, southeastern Brazil. Environ Biol Fish 97, 309–319 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-013-0153-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-013-0153-3

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