Authors : Jorge Luiz Silva Nunes, Ana Paula Viana Amurim, Diego Sousa Campos, Fernanda Viana Dos Santos, Laicia Carneiro Leite, Pâmella Silva de Brito, Erick Cristofore Guimarães
Magazine : BOLETIM DO LABORATÓRIO DE HIDROBIOLOGIA, Vol. 28: 31-34, 2018
HTML (just abstract) : http://www.periodicoseletronicos.ufma.b ... view/10935
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Key-words : interspecific interaction, commensalism, freshwater, foraging, snorkelingAbstract wrote: Nuclear-follower interactions are a particular type of interspecific foraging association which involves a nuclear species, which revolves or scans through the substrate, and follower species that access the food items made available by the nuclear species’ activity. This type of association was observed in a headwater stream at the Itapecuru basin, in the Maranhão cerrado, involving the catfishes Corydoras vittatus, Corydoras cf. julii as nuclear species and Knodus victoriae as its follower. Individuals of C. vittatus, Corydoras cf. julii revolved the substrate during their foraging, promoting sediment suspension. Their followers, in turn, moved through the “cloud” of particles in suspension, capturing food items. Food particles in suspension do not seem to be used by the catfishes but become available for K. victoriae. The follower behavior represents a feeding tactic for these species, reinforcing the general idea of behavioral plasticity between follower species.