Comportamento alimentar e qualidade da água em tanques de criação de girinos de rã-touro Lithobates catesbeianus = Feeding behavior and water quality in tanks containing bullfrog tadpoles Lithobates catesbeianus

Abstract

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o comportamento alimentar e a qualidade da água em tanques de criação de girinos de rã-touro Lithobates catesbeianus durante 56 dias, a partir do estágio 25 da Tabela de Gosner (1960), criados em tanques de alvenaria comcapacidade de 1000 L. Os girinos que receberam ração (R) e alga + plâncton + ração (APR) apresentaram o melhor peso e sobrevivência, diferindo significativamente (p The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of food treatments and water quality on the development of bullfrog tadpoles. The analysis, carried out in 1000 L tanks, was undertaken by weight and survival rates, during 56 days, as from stage 25 (Gosner, 1960). Treatments with ration (R) and algae + plankton + ration (APR) had the best results in weight and survival rates, which were significantly different (p < 0.05) from the other treatments, comprised of algae only or algae + plankton. Physical and chemical variables of water differed significantly (p < 0.05) during the experimental period and among treatments. There was a correlation between the concentration of species present in the food and in the tadpole digestive tract (rs = 0.39; p < 0.05). From the 14th dayof age, bullfrog tadpoles changed their feeding behavior, or rather, a search for food items other than plankton occurred. The utilization of combined natural and artificial (ration) diets to feed bullfrog tadpoles was feasible and yielded a satisfactory development in theanimals.

Keywords

• plâncton
• desempenho
• variáveis físico-químicas
• dieta natural
• dieta artificial
• plankton
• development
• physicochemical parameters
• natural diet
• artificial diet