Abstract

MENENDEZ DIAZ, Zulema et al. Some ecological aspects of larvivirous fish existing in Cayo Santa María, Cuba . Rev Cubana Med Trop [online]. 2007, vol.59, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3054.

One thousand and three hundred twenty one fish from Cyprinodon variegatus, Gambusia punticulata, Fundulus grandis saguanus, Cubanichthys cubensis y Girardinus metallicus were collected for the purpose of locating and identifying fish of interest in the control of mosquito larvae in Cayo Santa María, Villa Clara province. Ecological indexes such as diversity (H´) and equity (J´) were estimated through a program named BIODIVERSITY Pro v2 and also the contents in the stomach of 341 specimens (25,81%) of the total was analyzed. The most abundant and distributed species in all the sampled sites was C. variegatus followed by G. puncticulata. The number of fish of these species showed a differential gradient going from West to East: upward for C. variegatus and downward for G. puncticulata (X² = 150,60, p< 0,001), being the latter the species that most equitably used the food resources (J´=0,92) since it consumed 6 of them for food. These indigenous fish that are abundant in natural reservoirs should be taken into account for integrated control plans aimed at mosquito, gnat and horsefly breeding sites found in these locations.

Keywords : Larvivirous fish, biological larval control; Ciprinodon variegatus; Gambusia puncticulata; Fundulus grandis saguanus.

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