Cores vivas nas águas do rio Tocantins: uma análise do policromatismo em tucunarés (cichla, cichliformes)

Abstract

This study investigated the coloration patterns of the species Cichla kelberi and C. piquiti in the Tocantins-Araguaia basin, considering biological factors (sexual stage, sex, length, stomach repletion) and environmental factors (dry or rainy season and water transparency). Divided into two stages, the first involved fieldwork to capture the fish, while the second involved the processing of biometric data in the laboratory. The color scale adopted was defined based on a database containing photographic records of the observed variation between 2010 and 2023. The study revealed a diversity of colors in the populations, with C. kelberi varying in darker colors and shades, from non-yellow to yellow, and C. piquiti varying in lighter colors, ranging from yellow to gray/silver. The color pattern of C. kelberi is mainly related to the sexual stage, while C. piquiti showed associations with environmental variables (season) and biological factors (phase, length, sexual stage). Thus, it is noted that polychromatism is linked to growth and reproductive cycles, playing a crucial role in social communication, especially during the reproductive period.