Discrimination of Astyanax altiparanae (Characiformes, Characidae) populations by applying Fourier transform-infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy in the fish scales

Astyanax altiparanae fish species is considered very generalist and opportunist, occupying different types and sizes of environments. This characteristic turns it very appropriate as bioindicator or biomarked. Therefore, in this work, A. altiparanae fish species was used to identify populations by using the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy directly in its scales. The discriminant analysis applied in the infrared spectra demonstrated a significant differentiation among the analyzed populations, with the first and second canonical roots explain together 100% of the data variation. The obtained results were correlated with environmental descriptors and diet of fishes, and a better agreement was obtained when spectroscopic data were compared with the composition of food present in the fish stomachs. However, this study indicates that the combination of infrared absorption spectroscopy with discriminant analysis is a very appropriate methodology to be used in fish scales as bioindicator for intraspecific study.