Several aspects of growth and feeding of C. paludica have been assessed in two different environments: a lenitic and a lotic hydrosystem, Portil lagoon and Rivera de Cala river respectively. Growth patterns showed some differences with Iberian loach growing slower in the lagoon than in the river. Because of this, although individuals of both populations reach sexual maturity in their second year (year-class 1+), specimens of lagoon population mature at smaller sizes. The C. paludica population in the river showed a better somatic condition than in the lagoon. In both hydrosystems, their diet was mainly chironomid larvae and ostracods, although the Portil lagoon Iberian loach population showed a clear trophic segregation between young of the year (year-class 0+) and sexually matures individuals (year-class ≥ 1+).
The Joaquín Costa reservoir contains a mixed fish assemblage of native and exotic species. Feeding habits and feeding relationships of species in the fish assemblage were analysed over a one year cycle. Differences in diet composition were found both between species and within species among seasons. Food overlap and trophic similarity among species also showed seasonal variations. Cluster analysis differentiated four groups of predominant diet: (1) macroinvertebrates (trout and largemouth bass), (2) detritus (nase), (3) cladoceran crustaceans and (4) an omnivorous feeding regime, with large seasonal variations in food habits. Food of fish species included in groups 3 and 4 (roach, white bream, barbel, common and mirror carp) varied seasonally. Using graphical models of feeding strategies, similarity indexes, cluster and multivariate analyses based on the relative importance of food categories in the diet of the species, we illustrate that the fish assemblage showed food resource partitioning according to food habits and foraging habitats within the reservoir.