Spatial and temporal variation in the population structure of the halftooth, Hemiodus unimaculatus, in the tucuruí­­ reservoir on the lower tocantins river in eastern Brazilian Amazonia

Abstract

The present study investigated the spatiotemporal changes in the structure of the population of the halftooth, Hemiodus unimaculatus (Bloch, 1794), in the area upstream from the Tucuruí­­ hydroelectric dam on the Tocantins River, through quarterly samples obtained in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007. The variation in the total length and weight of the specimens was analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, with a 5% significance level, while the spatiotemporal variation in population parameters was evaluated using a cluster analysis and SIMPER. A number of changes were found in the population structure of H. unimaculatus, with an increase in population size, a shift in the proportion of juveniles and adults, and alterations of the spatial distribution of the fish. The lack of data on the species and its occurrence in the study area reinforce the need for the development of adequate management measures to avoid overfishing in the future.