Macroinvertebrates as tadpole food: importance and body size relationships

Macroinvertebrates as food were recorded for three anurans tadpoles: Hyla saxicola (Bokermann, 1964) (Hylidae), Scinax machadoi (Bokermann & Sazima, 1973) (Hylidae), and Bufo rubescens (Lutz, 1925) (Bufonidae). These species are commonly found in the mountain streams at Serra do Cipó National Park, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Tadpoles were collected in pools of second-order reach in Mascates stream and third and fourth order reaches of Indaiá stream from March-October, 2003. Biometrical data were recorded before dissecting each individual and a feeding importance index was estimated. Eight taxa of chironomids and three taxa of mayfly exuviae were found in the guts, but no significantly differences were found between tadpole species (ANOVA, p > 0.05). The results support the drift transport hypothesis that predicts that tadpoles commonly ingest suspended matter in lotic ecosystems, are generalist feeders, and macroinvertebrates are probably incidental ingested