SABIIA - Sistema Aberto e Integrado de Informação em Agricultura (Sabiia)

Sazima,Ivan; Sazima,Cristina.

Some bird species feed on external parasites, such as ticks and flies, on the body of mammals (hosts or clients). So called cleaner birds that occur in Brazil were reviewed recently, but gathering of significant new data indicates the need for an update and a brief reappraisal of such association. New records raise the number of known clients for some cleaning birds. The Southern Caracara (Caracara plancus) picks ticks on cattle, and the Black Caracara (Daptrius ater) picks ticks on capybaras. The Wattled Jacana (Jacana jacana) picks ticks, horseflies, arthropods and organic debris on capybaras, and tick-picking on capybaras by the Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) is substantiated by photographs. The Cattle Tyrant (Machetornis rixosa) deftly catches...

Cleaner birds: an overview for the Neotropics

Palavras-chave: Cleaning symbiosis; Ardeidae; Falconidae; Jacanidae; Tyrannidae; Icteridae.

Ano: 2010

URL: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1676-06032010000100028

Sazima,Ivan; Sazima,Cristina.

Several bird species feed on a variety of external parasites and epibionts, organic debris, dead and wounded tissue, clots and blood, and secretions from the body of other vertebrates (hosts or clients). We present an overview of so called cleaner birds from the Neotropics based on field records, literature, and photo survey. We found that 33 bird species in 16 families practice cleaning even if some of them do so very occasionally. The birds range from the Galápagos ground finch Geospiza fuliginosa to the widespread black vulture Coragyps atratus. Clients mostly are large herbivores such as capybaras, deer, and livestock, but also include medium-sized herbivores such as iguanas and tortoises, and carnivores such as boobies and seals - a few bird species...

The association of the goatfish mulloidichthys martinicus with the grunt haemulon chrysargyreum: an example of protective mimicry

Palavras-chave: Cleaning symbiosis; Opportunistic birds; Association with vertebrates; Ectoparasite and tissue removal.

Ano: 2010

URL: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1676-06032010000400025

Krajewski,João Paulo; Bonaldo,Roberta Martini; Sazima,Cristina; Sazima,Ivan.

A presumed example of protective mimicry between the yellow goatfish, Mulloidichthys martinicus (Mullidae) and the smallmouth grunt, Haemulon chrysargyreum (Haemulidae) is described from Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, NE Brazil. The goatfish and the grunt share a similar overall shape and colour pattern. We found that these two species regularly form mixed schools around reefs. Additionally, when chased small groups of yellow goatfish join schools of smallmouth grunts and behave like them. The colour and shape resemblances between the two species enable their mixed schooling, and enhance the protection against visually oriented predators for both of them. Thus, we suggest that the protective association herein reported for the goatfish and the grunt may...

Little dragons prefer flowers to maidens: a lizard that laps nectar and pollinates trees

Palavras-chave: Protective mimicry; Social mimicry; Mixed schooling; Mulloidichthys martinicus; Haemulon chrysargyreum.

Ano: 2004

URL: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1676-06032004000200016

Sazima,Ivan; Sazima,Cristina; Sazima,Marlies.

Lizards rarely visit and pollinate flowers, the few recent records being mostly restricted to island habitats. We report here on the Noronha skink (Euprepis atlanticus) seeking nectar in the flowers of the leguminous mulungu tree (Erythrina velutina) at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, off northeast Brazil. The mulungu tree blooms during the dry season, and each flower secretes copious and diluted nectar throughout the day. The Noronha skink climbs up to the inflorescences and laps the nectar accumulated in the flowers' base. While exploiting the flowers and crawling over the inflorescences, the body parts of the skink contact the anthers and stigmas and pollen adheres to the lizard's scales. The lizard visits inflorescences from the same and different...

Hawksbill turtles visit moustached barbers: cleaning symbiosis between eretmochelys imbricata and the shrimp stenopus hispidus

Palavras-chave: Euprepis atlanticus; Scincidae; Erythrina velutina; Fabaceae; Saurophily; Oceanic islands.

Ano: 2005

URL: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1676-06032005000100018

Sazima,Ivan; Grossman,Alice; Sazima,Cristina.

This seems to be the first record of cleaning symbiosis between marine turtles and shrimps. During their foraging on the reef flat, the turtles regularly visited and posed at the stations. The same stations were visited by a few species of reef fishes, which posed and were cleaned by the shrimps. We suggest that cleaning symbiosis between turtles and shrimps is widespread and went unrecognised due to the superficial resemblance between a resting turtle and a posing and cleaned one. Additionally, we submit a putative origin for the cleaning symbiosis between marine turtles and cleaner shrimps following a few simple behavioural steps.

A non-digging zoobenthivorous fish attracts two opportunistic predatory fish associates

Palavras-chave: Marine turtle-cleaner shrimp association; Cleaning symbiosis; Origin of turtle-shrimp association; Reef environment; Equatorial West Atlantic.

Ano: 2004

URL: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1676-06032004000100011

Sazima,Cristina; Grossman,Alice.

Following behaviour among reef fishes involves mostly a digging nuclear species while foraging, which attracts opportunistic followers preying on the exposed organisms. The flying gurnard Dactylopterus volitans preys on benthic animals, mostly crustaceans and small fishes, scratching and probing the bottom with the inner rays of its pectoral fins. We recorded the flying gurnard being followed by two opportunistic predators, the yellow jack Caranx bartholomaei and the coney Cephalopholis fulva at Fernando de Noronha, off northeast Brazil. Albeit not actually digging the substrate, the flying gurnard acts as a nuclear species by exploring algae tufts and by its wandering near the boulders and ledges, disturbing and flushing out hidden animals which thus...

Turtle cleaners: reef fishes foraging on epibionts of sea turtles in the tropical Southwestern Atlantic, with a summary of this association type

Palavras-chave: Nuclear forager; Following behaviour; Foraging association; Reef fishes; Equatorial West Atlantic.

Ano: 2005

URL: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-62252005000300014

Sazima,Cristina; Grossman,Alice; Sazima,Ivan.

In the present study we record several instances of reef fish species foraging on epibionts of sea turtles (cleaning symbiosis) at the oceanic islands of Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and near a shipwreck, both off the coast of Pernambuco State, northeast Brazil. Nine reef fish species and three turtle species involved in cleaning are herein recorded. Besides our records, a summary of the literature on this association type is presented. Postures adopted by turtles during the interaction are related to the habits of associated fishes. Feeding associations between fishes and turtles seem a localized, albeit common, phenomenon.

The glassy sweepers' way: seeking a versatile wrasse to be cleaned

Palavras-chave: Cleaning symbiosis; Foraging association; Cheloniidae; Tropical Western Atlantic.

Ano: 2010

URL: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-62252010000100023

Sazima,Cristina; Krajewski,João Paulo; Bonaldo,Roberta Martini; Sazima,Ivan.

Diurnal reef fishes compose the bulk of clients that seek cleaner fishes' services, but some nocturnal species that shelter at daytime also seek the cleaners. While doing so the nocturnal clients must leave their hiding places and thus they get exposed to potential diurnal predators. We report here on the cleaning interactions between a daytime cleaner wrasse (Thalassoma noronhanum) and a night time active client (Pempheris schomburgki) that usually remains sheltered at daytime. We recorded P. schomburgki leaving their shelter at daytime and heading towards T. noronhanum, whenever the cleaner swam by the shelter. Since T. noronhanum is able to tend temporary cleaning station near the safety of the shelters of its clients, P. schomburgki lessens a possible...

Predictive factors of species composition of follower fishes in nuclear-follower feeding associations: a snapshot study

Palavras-chave: Pempheris schomburgki; Thalassoma noronhanum; Cleaning symbiosis; Reef fishes; SW Atlantic.

Ano: 2005

URL: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-62252005000100008

Teresa,Fabrício B.; Sazima,Cristina; Sazima,Ivan; Floeter,Sergio R..

We tested whether habitat, identity, size of nuclear fishes, and intensity of bottom disturbance caused by their foraging can predict the composition of fish followers in nuclear-follower feeding associations. The study was carried out in a stream of the Serra da Bodoquena, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Southwestern Brazil. We performed underwater observational sessions (total 12 h) of such interspecific interactions to obtain data about the identity and abundance of the followers in the association, as well as the identity and size of the nuclear fish. We also evaluated whether different intensities of bottom disturbance due to the nuclear fish foraging and type of habitat may influence interactions. We recorded 38 episodes involving nuclear and follower...

Wolf in a sheep's clothes: juvenile coney (Cephalopholis fulva) as an aggressive mimic of the brown chromis (Chromis multilineata)

Ano: 2014

URL: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-62252014000400913

Sazima,Ivan; Krajewski,João Paulo; Bonaldo,Roberta Martini; Sazima,Cristina.

We found yellowish juvenile coneys (Cephalopholis fulva) at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, off Northeast Brazil, joining schools of similarly sized and coloured brown chromis (Chromis multilineata) when these latter closely approach the rocky reefs. Mingled within the mid-water hovering group of the plankton-feeding chromis, the piscivorous coney is able to approach unaware prey - an instance of aggressive mimicry. Three out of four coney individuals hunting under such disguise were successful in their attempts to prey on the otherwise wary rock-dwelling blenny (Malacoctenus species). This is the first instance of an epinepheline grouper mimicking a schooling and plankton-eating damselfish model in the West Atlantic.

Fishes associated with spinner dolphins at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, tropical Western Atlantic: an update and overview

Palavras-chave: Mimicry; Hunting tactic; Epinepheline grouper; Plankton-feeding damselfish.

Ano: 2005

URL: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-62252005000200011

Sazima,Ivan; Sazima,Cristina; Silva-Jr,José Martins da.

An update is presented for fish species associated with spinner dolphins at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, tropical Western Atlantic, providing a general view of their diversity. The associates are mostly reef-dwelling fishes that feed on the dolphin wastes. Twelve species are habitual or occasional plankton-eaters and two species are herbivores that occasionally forage on floating pieces of algae. One species is a strict carnivore, one species is a hitchhiker that forages on a variety of foods including parasites and dead tissue from the dolphins, and one species is a carnivore that joins the dolphin groups to forage on schools of small fishes or squids. We predict that the list of fish associated with spinner dolphins will expand mostly with addition...