The diet of pirambeba Serrasalmus brandtii Reinhardt 1874 was studied in four floodplain lakes in São Francisco river. The main food items consumed were chunks of fish flesh, small fishes, scales, fins and aquatic insects. Trophic ontogeny was observed in all lakes. The amount of fishes in the diet of S. brandtii increased with the length of the individuals, while the amount of aquatics insects, fins and scales decreased. Aquatic insects were consumed in greater proportion during the wet season. Fish ingestion, including scales and fins, was correlated with the abundance of fishes.
Serrasalmus brandtii; diet; floodplain lakes; São Francisco River