Habitat use, coloration, and behavioral observations of fishes from mountainous headwaters of the northwestern La Plata basin

Felipe Alonso; Alejo Joaquin Irigoyen; Gaston Aguilera; Guillermo Enrique Terán; Wilson Sebastián Serra Alanis; Victor Ezequiel Mettola; Marcos Martín Waldbilling; Pablo Javier Merlo; Gastón Trobbiani; Alejandro Méndez López; Esteban Avigliano; Martín Miguel  Montes; Matías Pandolfi; Juan Marcos Mirande

doi:10.30550/j.azl/2380

Authors

Dr Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del Noroeste Argentino (IBIGEO). Consejo Nacional de Investiga- ciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7227-2732
Alejo Joaquin Irigoyen Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CCT CENPAT – CONICET) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6082-7398
Gaston Aguilera Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (CONICET) – Fundación Miguel Lillo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5486-2787
Guillermo Enrique Terán Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (CONICET) – Fundación Miguel Lillo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3795-3345
Wilson Sebastián Serra Alanis Sección Ictiología, Dpto. de Zoología, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural (MNHN), Montevideo, Uruguay https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0032-9335
Victor Ezequiel Mettola Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (CONICET) – Fundación Miguel Lillo https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3334-3927
Marcos Martín Waldbilling CONICET – Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Animal (INPA) https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4942-9303
Pablo Javier Merlo Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CCT CENPAT – CONICET) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0626-4993
Gastón Trobbiani Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CCT CENPAT – CONICET) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7793-7553
Alejandro Méndez López Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (CONICET) – Fundación Miguel Lillo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7251-7880
Esteban Avigliano CONICET – Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Animal (INPA) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3620-2291
Martín Miguel Montes Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y Vectores (CEPAVE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (CCT, CONICET-UNLP) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7177-333X
Matías Pandolfi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7677-4120
Juan Marcos Mirande Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (CONICET) – Fundación Miguel Lillo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4370-3526

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30550/j.azl/2380

Keywords:

Coloration, Habitat partitioning, Interspecific schools, Altitudinal migration, Nursery areas

Abstract

We describe microhabitat use and provide observations on the coloration and behavior of fishes from the mountainous headwaters of the northwestern La Plata Basin, a highly endemic freshwater region of high conservation priority. Using underwater observations, video recordings, and in situ photography, we documented habitat associations, school formation, species interactions, and the potential ecological role of coloration patterns. In watercourses of the Bermejo and Juramento river basins we accumulated approximately 81.5 h of direct observations and 17 h 36 min of underwater video recordings. Fish assemblages showed marked habitat partitioning: benthic specialists (e.g., Trichomycterus spegazzinii, Rineloricaria spp., Characidium spp., and Parodon carrikeri) were concentrated in riffles and high-velocity microhabitats, whereas many characiforms were more frequent in pools and moderate-flow sections. Shallow vegetated secondary arms frequently functioned as nursery habitats by concentrating juveniles. Size-based altitudinal segregation observed in Acrobrycon tarijae (adults upstream; juveniles downstream) suggests a life cycle linked to elevation gradients and a possible reproductive migration. We also recorded notable behaviors, including aggressive mimicry in Oligosarcus bolivianus, contrasting predatory strategies of Salminus brasiliensis, and commensal feeding by small characiforms following substrate-disturbing individuals of Steindachnerina brevipinna. These results highlight the importance of structural habitat heterogeneity and the need for conservation measures to mitigate anthropogenic impacts such as river canalization

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