RCAAP Repository

Although mullets from the Brazilian coast have been commercially ex-ploited for a long time and used in fish culture experiments more recently, data for accurate identification of species are not available in the Brazilian literature. This guide was planned to provide Information for the identification of ali the species found along the Brazilian coast, based on inspection of easily recognizable morphological features. A key to species and data on their distribution, fishery, biology and fish culture in Brazil are presented.

To provide better cond’tions for fish culture, a study was undertaken to assess the best way of adapting mullet fingerlings (Mugil curema) to jreshwater. Mullets have been submitted to direct shock and gradual decrease of salinities of 12‰, 7‰, 3‰ and 2‰ (freshwater), with a survival varying from 65% to 100%. It was observed that weight varies in function of time, at salinities of 0,2‰, 3‰ and 7‰, and that of the fish médium with values of 14‰ and 30‰ (winter and summer) at Tamandaré, and 18‰ and 31‰ (winter and summer) at Itamarac‡, located res-pectively at the south and north of the state of Pernambuco coast.

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Three species of the family Phyllodocidae and two of Hesionidae were found in colonies of the bryozoan Schizoporella unicornis (Johnston) on the beaches of Ubatuba and São Sebastião, São Paulo State, Brazil. Among these, Eumida sanguinea (Phyllodocidae) is registered for the first time on the Brazilian coast. Among the other species Ophiodromus pugettensis (Hesionidae) was one of the most abundant polychaetous annelids of the bryzoan fauna.

Natural occurrence of nuclear polyhedrosis viruses were detected in populations of some Heliconiini in the field as well as in the laboratory. The epizootics appeared under field conditions in populations of Dione juno juno, D. moneta and Agraulis vanillae maculosa. In the laboratory, however, larvae of Heliconius numata mirus, H. hecale vetustus and H. erato phyllis in addition to two hybrids and Eueides Isabella dianasa, all suffered the same disease. The effect of several factors which might contribute to the occurrence of the disease are discussed. Symptoms, histopathology and description of viral particles and polyhedra are given.

One new Brazilian species of Drosophila belonging to the nesiota subgroup of the flavopilosa group, which is recorded for the first time from the State of São Paulo, is illustrated and described as D. mariaehelenae, sp. nov. It has been found breeding on flowers of Cestrum intermedium Sendtn., together with D. cestri Brncic, D. cordeiroi Brncic, D. cordeiroi Brncic, D. flavopilosa Frey and D. incompta Wheeler & Takada, Zygothrica vittimaculosa Burla and one undetermined species of the Drosophila tripunctata species group. Photographs are provided of the male genitalia of the first four species.

Larvae of Stilpnonotus postsignatus Fairmaire, 1889 were collected inside a hard log in Peruíbe, São Paulo, Brazil; reared adults were identified. A description of the larva, pre-pupa and pupa are provided with ilustrations.

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The syncranial osteology of Ceratophrys aurita, a largosized and characteristic anuran of southeastern Brazil, is described. The main osteological features and their resultant manifestations, as well as the exostosic dermal ornamentation and the specialized dentition clearly confirm this species as a terrestrial, fossorial and phragmotic type, with active predatory habits.

Thoropa megatympanum, sp. n., is described from the Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brasil. The new species is related to T. miliaris (Spix), from which it is readily distinguished by its smaller size, broader head, larger tympanum, shorter legs, and dorsal pattern mottled. The eggs and the tadpole are also described.

Zelleriella ubatubensis, sp. n. is described. This species was found in the caecal region of the leptodactylid Thoropa miliaris from Ubatuba, SP, Brasil. The cell body has an irregular ellipsoid outline (145.9 µm ± 3.0 x 93.9 µm ± 24). The nucleus (16.7 µm ±0.3) has a fragmented nucleolar mass (more than nine nucleoli). Z. ubatubensis seems to be morphologically similar to Z. caryosoma and Z. foliacea but it differs from them by dimension, chromatin and host. A great number of the observed specimens contained Endamoeba paulista in their cytoplasm.

Antwrens of the genus Myrmotherula (Formicariidae) are common members of mixed flocks in the understory of neotropical forest, but rarely follow army ants more than a few minutes as a flock passes. Antwrens that glean in open foliage (axillaris, longipennis) and ones that forage on dead foliage (fulviventris and relatives) apparently have to canvass large areas too rapidly to stay with slow-moving ants. Antwrens that glean low foliage of vertical seedlings (guttata, hauxwelli, gularis) can stay near ants only in such patches, despite close resemblance to sallying and hence less microhabitat-limited Hylophylax antbirds, some of which follow ants regularly.

Hylophylax naevia of moderately dense forest undergrowth and H. punctulata of open swamp undergrowth tend to sally for arthropods in low foliage rather than sally to the ground among large ant-following antbirds. They and related Hypocnemoides melanopogon of swamp understory edges are also limited by their microhabitat niches in following ants. Myrmoderus ferrugineus and M. loricatus, ground-walking small antbirds seemingly derived from Hylophylax, follow ants infrequently, probably because ants, large ant-following birds, and predators would attack them if they did so.

Phlegopsis erythroptera (Formicariidae) follows army ants regularly for flushed arthropods between the Andes and the Negro/Madeira Rivers. Mainly a bird of terra firme forests, it is interspecifically aggressive. Low numbers at ant swarms are probably due to low productivity of arthropods flushed by ants on weathered terra firme soils, or to high species diversity of subordinate but active ant-following competitors in upper Amazonia. Sexual dimorphism of young and female erythroptera is attributed to low numbers over ants, so that dispersed individuals avoid attacks by bright-plumaged adult males rather than bluff them out at close range. Phlegopsis, Skutchia, Rhegmatorhina, and Gymnopithys are related to and perhaps congeneric with Pithys; all follow ants and seem a group derived from birds related to Hylophylax.

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The data suggest that Polybia (Myrapetra) paulista colonies are established by means of swarm formation having the existence of an initial polygyny and a pleometrose being proved. The reproductive forms are produced once a year (at the start of the year); however, the colonies can last for two or three years. The observations evidenced that the duration of a development period is about 100 days.

This paper reports the preliminary results of two years of herpetogeographic studies in the region called «Grande Porto Alegre» at its northern portion. The physiognomy shows, at North, slopes of the Brazilian Southern Plateau, more or less forested in a general view; these elevations graãuálly decrease to the South until the levei of the sea to Atlantic littoral by the eastern border, and to Rio Grande do Sul savanah, which extends to Uruguay and Argentina. The biota is transitional from the highland prairies and forests of the plateau to lowland prairies of the pampas. Three faunistic Provinces are included: Guarani, Pampean, and Tupi. The most conspicuous dispersion is shown by the taxa proceeding from the plateau to savanah (Dispersion Centre Guarani); the pampean species occur in low percentage (Dispersion Centre Uruguay), and an inappreciable account of Tupi fauna (Dispersion Centre of «Serra do Mar»). The new records are: presence of Chironius pyrrhopogon, Hydrodynastes gigas, Bothrops neuwiedi para-naensis, Micrurus corallinus; intergradation zone of Guarani and Pampean geographic roces; and new taxa of snakes, which will be described brieflly. The systematic composition presents: Chelonia, 4 (3 Chelidae, 1 Testudinidae); Sauria, 10 (1 Gekkonidae, 2 Iguanidae, 1 Anguidae, 3 Teiidae, 3 Amphisbaenidae); Serpentes, 45 (35 Colubridae, 4 Elapidae, 6 Viperidae); Crocodylia (1 Crocodylidae).