Desempeño de Capitán de la Sabana (Eremophilus mutisii) en estadios tempranos de desarrollo / Performance of the Captain of the Savannah, (Eremophilus mutisii) in early stages of development

RESUMEN Son varios los esfuerzos realizados en el pez capitán de la sabana Eremophilus mutisii para su uso y conservación; sin embargo, a pesar de los avances logrados, no se ha conseguido superar las dificultades de la larvicultura en esta especie, razón por la cual, se realizó la primera descripción de las etapas iniciales de vida, con el fin de contribuir y de mejorar los inicios de la larvicultura. Las larvas utilizadas fueron obtenidas de reproductores maduros de capitán de la sabana. Posteriormente, se procedió a describir el volumen y determinación de absorción del saco vitelino, la abertura máxima de la bucal, primera alimentación, preferencia alimentaria y la evaluación de variables productivas, como ganancia de peso, tasa de crecimiento específica y sobrevivencia. El consumo del saco vitelino, se completó en la 201 Hora Post Eclosión (HPE), equivalente a más del 90% de absorción, la apertura máxima bucal es alcanzada a las 126 HPE. Esta especie presenta un alto de grado de aceptación a la alimentación con quistes de artemia, a partir del 11 Día Post Eclosión(DPE) y, posteriormente, a alimento artificial, desde los 47 DPE; lo anterior, se convierte en un aporte para la obtención e identificación de mecanismos y estrategias que promuevan el uso y la conservación en cautiverio de E. mutisii, con el fin de fomentar el aprovechamiento acuícola en este especie, que se encuentra en amenaza de extinción y puede ser una fuente alimenticia, que contribuya a la seguridad alimentaria de la población Cundiboyacense.

ABSTRACT There are several efforts made in the savannah captain fish Eremophilus mutisii for its use and conservation; however, despite the progress made, it has not been possible to overcome the difficulties of larviculture in this species, reason for to make the first description of the initial stages of life for contribute and improve the beginnings of larviculture. The larvae used were obtained from mature savanna captain breeders. Subsequently, the volume and determination of the absorption of the yolk sac, the maximum opening of the mouth, first feeding, food preference and the evaluation of productive variables such as: weight gain, specific growth rate and survival were described. The consumption of the yolk sac was completed at 201 Hour Post Hatching (HPE), equivalent to more than 90% absorption, the maximum mouth opening is reached at 126 HPE. This species has a high degree of acceptance when feeding with artemia cysts from 11 Day post-hatching (DPE) and later to artificial food from 47 DPE, This to becomes a contribution to the obtaining and identification of mechanisms and strategies that promote the use and conservation of E. mutisii in captivity, in order to promote the use of aquaculture in this species that is threatened with extinction and can be a food source that contributes to the food security of the Cundiboyacense population.

ESTUDIO HISTOLÓGICO Y MORFOLÓGICO DEL DESARROLLO EMBRIONARIO DEL PEZ CAPITÁN DE LA SABANA (Eremophilus mutisii) / HISTOLOGICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE EMBRIONARY DEVELOPMENT OF THE CAPITAN DE LA SABANA (Eremophilus mutisii)

RESUMEN Eremophilus mutisii, pez catalogado en estado como vulnerable, que por su importancia sociocultural y ecológica genera retos investigativos, uno de ellos, conocer sus características histológicas del desarrollo embrionario, desde la fecundación hasta la eclosión. Para ello, se obtuvieron embriones de individuos adultos y maduros sexualmente, capturados en la represa del Sisga, ubicada en el municipio de Chocontá, Cundinamarca, inducidos sexualmente con extracto pituitario de carpa. Los ovocitos y el semen fueron obtenidos por presión abdominal 24 horas después de la última dosis, a 14±1°C. La toma de muestras, se realizó cada 60 minutos, durante las primeras doce horas post-fertilización (HPF); a partir de aquí y hasta la eclosión, las muestras fueron fijadas en formol Bufferado al 4%, cada 6 horas y sometidas a rutina de histología. Los resultados mostraron que los óvulos fertilizados presentaron forma esférica, color verde claro y diámetro promedio de 1270µm. El primer clivaje, se observó a las 2HPF; la blastulación inició a las 9HPF; los movimientos epibólicos y la gastrulación, se observaron desde la 12HPF hasta la 30HPF, con el cierre del blastoporo. A las 60HPF, se evidenció el desprendimiento de la cola del saco vitelino y a las 66HPF, se dio inicio a los primeros movimientos autónomos. Finalmente, a las 72HPF inició la eclosión, mostrando las larvas ausencia de pigmentación y evidenciándose un tracto digestivo rudimentario, sin abertura bucal y anal. Se observó la presencia de abundante saco vitelino, con movimientos verticales continuos de la larva.

ABSTRACT Eremophilus mutisii, due to its vulnerable condition and its potential for fish farming, generates research challenges; one of them is to know the embryonic changes of the E. mutisii based on morphological and histological features from fertilization to hatching. The embryos were obtained from adult and sexually mature individuals of the Capitán de la Sabana (Eremophilus mutisii), sexually induced with carp pituitary extract. Oocytes and semen were obtained by abdominal pressure 24 hours after the last dose at 14±1°C. Sampling was performed every 60 minutes for the first twelve hours´ post-fertilization (HPF); from here on at hatching, the samples were fixed every 6 hours. The embryos were fixed in 4% formalin for observing the morphological features and for the histological studies. Results revealed that the fertilized eggs had spherical shape, light green color and average diameter of 1270µm. The first cleavage at 2 HPF was observed, the blastulation began at 9 HPF. Epibolic movements and gastrulation were observed from 12 HPF to 30 HPF with blastopore closure. At 60 HPF the yolk sac tail detachment was evident and at 66 HPF the first autonomous movements began. Finally, at 72 HPF, the hatching began, showing absence of pigmentation and evidencing a rudimentary digestive tract without oral and anal opening. It was observed the presence of abundant yolk sac with continuous vertical movements of the larva.

The dawn of phylogenetic research on Neotropical fishes: a commentary and introduction to Baskin (1973), with an overview of past progress on trichomycterid phylogenetics

A review is made of the impact of the landmark Ph. D. Thesis of Jonathan N. Baskin from 1973 on the development of the phylogenetics of catfishes and some of its main subgroups and on neotropical ichthyology in general. Baskin's work is the first to propose a hypothesis of relationships for loricarioid catfishes and for the family Trichomycteridae on the basis of explicit Hennigian principles. It is arguably also the first application of phylogenetic methods to any group of neotropical fishes. The hypotheses presented by Baskin covered the monophyly of Siluriformes, the monophyly and relationships of loricarioid families and the relationships of Trichomycteridae (including the monophyly of the family and the relationships among its constituent genera). His discoveries are analyzed in view of the subsequent 40-odd years of progress on the understanding of the phylogeny of the respective groups. The ideas proposed in 1973 have resisted the test of time remarkably well, and a majority of them have been corroborated by additional characters and taxa (including molecular data and several taxa newly discovered in the meantime), as well as by modern quantitative analysis.

Um ensaio é realizado sobre o impacto da tese de doutorado pioneira de 1973 de Jonathan N. Baskin no desenvolvimento do conhecimento filogenético de Siluriformes e alguns dos seus principais subgrupos e na ictiologia neotropical em geral. O trabalho de Baskin é o primeiro a propor uma hipótese de relações para os bagres loricarioides e para a família Trichomycteridae com base em princípios Hennigianos explícitos. Provavelmente é também a primeira implementação de métodos filogenéticos em qualquer grupo de peixes de água doce neotropicais. As hipóteses apresentadas por Baskin cobrem o monofiletismo de Siluriformes, o monofiletismo e as relações filogenéticas das famílias de Loricarioidea, e as relações filogenéticas de Trichomycteridae (incluindo o monofiletismo da família e as relações entre seus gêneros constituintes). Suas descobertas são analisadas à luz dos mais de 40 anos de progresso no entendimento da filogenia dos respectivos grupos. As ideias propostas em 1973 resistiram ao teste do tempo bastante bem e a maioria delas foi corroborada por caracteres ou táxons adicionais (incluindo dados moleculares e muitos táxons descobertos no interim), assim como por análises quantitativas mais modernas.

Growth, feeding and reproduction of the catfish Eremophilus mutisii (Pisces: Trichomycteridae), from artificial reservoirs in Colombia

The catfish, Eremophilus mutisii, was cultured under different densities in artificial rainfall reservoirs at Caldas, Boyacá, Colombia. At capture, the average total length of the animals was 10 cm and the weight ranged between 9 and 10 g. These fish were in initial stages of sexual development. After a year in the reservoirs, they had increased in length and weight as follows (densities in parentheses): 5.22 cm and 27.23 g (0.5 individuals/m2); 1.98 cm and 8.79 g (1 individual/m2), and 2.45 cm and 0.82 g (2 individuals/m2). They were at the early stages of sexual maturity, and their condition factor fluctuated between 0.61 and 0.96. They preferably ingested insect larvae that were found in benthic and littoral communities of the reservoirs. The benthos was dominated by ephippia of Daphnia, lumbriculids, and chironomid larvae. The biomass of benthic organisms ranged between 0.1126 and 1.3847 g/m2. In the littoral community aquatic insects were the most important component, especially the hemipterans. The biomass of the littoral fauna ranged between 0.14 and 4.05 g/m2.

El “capitán de la sabana”, Eremophilus mutisii (Humboldt, 1805), fue cultivado en diferentes densidades en pequeños lagos artificiales localizados en Caldas, Boyacá, Colombia. Al inicio, el promedio de la longitud corporal fue 10 cm y el peso osciló entre 9 y 10 gr. Los peces se encontraban en estados iniciales de desarrollo sexual. Luego de un año de experimentación, los peces cultivados a una densidad de 0.5 ind/m2 incrementaron 5.22 cm en longitud y 27.23 gr en promedio (1 ind/m2: 1.98 cm y 8.79 gr; 2 ind/m2: 2.45 cm y 0.82 gr). Los peces se encontraban iniciando su madurez sexual, y su factor de condición fluctuó entre 0.61 y 0.96 y consumían principalmente larvas de insectos. El bentos estaba dominado por efipios de Daphnia, lumbricúlidos y larvas de quironómidos. La biomasa de organismos benticos osciló entre 0.1126 y 1.3847 gr/m2. En la comunidad litoral, los insectos acuáticos fueron los componentes mas importantes, especialmente los hemípteros. La biomasa de la fauna litoral osciló entre 0.14 y 4.05 gr/m2.

Free meals on long-distance cruisers: the vampire fish rides giant catfishes in the Amazon

The trichomycterid catfishes known as candirus are renowned for their blood feeding, but information on their habits under natural conditions is very fragmentary and generally restricted to hosts or habitats. We recorded an undescribed species of the vandelliine genus Paracanthopoma riding the giant jau catfish, Zungaro zungaro (Pimelodidae), in the upper Amazon. The candirus were found on the host's caudal and pectoral fins, as well as the base of the dorsal fin, with their snouts buried up to the eyes in the tough skin of the catfish host. All of them had small amounts of partly digested blood in the distal part of the gut. Along the host's dorsal fin base we found a few additional tiny holes, most of them healed. We suggest that Paracanthopoma feeds on the gill chamber of its hosts, and that the individuals we found were taking a ride partly buried into the host's skin. Our assumption seems supported by the widespread behaviour of vandelliine candirus taking blood from the gill region of their hosts, and by a report of Paracanthopoma parva found on the gills of another species of giant catfish, Brachyplatystoma vaillanti. Additionally, the Paracanthopoma sp. individuals we examined were not gorged with blood as usual for several vandelliines. Species within the genus Paracanthopoma have the longest and most robust snout, and the longest and strongest dentary teeth among blood-feeding candirus, which fit their drilling needs. Taking a ride on a giant host would be advantageous for Paracanthopoma candirus for several reasons: 1) dispersal; 2) no need to search for hosts to feed; and 3) protection from predators. The alternative explanation that Paracanthopoma takes blood from the tiny holes it drills in the skin seems unlikely, due to the recent finding that species of the genus Vandellia are unable to take blood from their hosts actively and cut open a major branchial artery to gorge themselves with blood due to the host's arterial...

Os bagres tricomicterídeos conhecidos como candirus são famosos por se alimentarem de sangue, mas as informações sobre seus hábitos, em condições naturais, são fragmentárias e restritas aos seus hospedeiros ou ambientes. Registramos uma espécie não descrita de candiru do gênero Paracanthopoma (Vandelliinae) sobre um jaú, Zungaro zungaro (Pimelodidae), no alto Rio Amazonas. Os candirus estavam sobre as nadadeiras caudal e peitoral e junto à base da dorsal, com seus focinhos enterrados até a altura dos olhos, no tegumento espesso do bagre hospedeiro. Os candirus continham pequenas quantidades de sangue parcialmente digerido na porção distal de seus tubos digestórios. Havia diversos orifícios rasos próximos à base da nadadeira dorsal do hospedeiro, a maioria cicatrizada. Sugerimos que Paracanthopoma se alimente na câmara branquial dos seus hospedeiros e que os candirus estejam viajando parcialmente enterrados na pele do jaú. Nossa suposição está apoiada no hábito de tomar sangue na região branquial dos hospedeiros, predominante entre os Vandelliinae, bem como por um registro de Paracanthopoma parva sobre as brânquias de uma outra espécie de grande bagre (Brachyplatystoma vaillanti). Além disso, os indivíduos de Paracanthopoma sp. não estavam empanturrados com sangue, como é usual para Vandelliinae. As espécies de Paracanthopoma têm o focinho mais longo e robusto entre os candirus hematófagos, além de dentes mandibulares longos e muito fortes, características adequadas ao hábito de perfurar a pele do hospedeiro. Viajar no corpo do hospedeiro seria vantajoso por diversos motivos: 1) dispersão; 2) não haver necessidade de procurar hospedeiros para se alimentar; 3) proteção contra predadores. A explicação alternativa, de que Paracanthopoma toma sangue nos pequenos furos que escava, não parece plausível, devido à recente descoberta de que espécies de Vandellia são incapazes de tomar sangue ativamente, pois fazem uma incisão numa das artérias...