Data from: Extremely long-distance seed dispersal by an overfished Amazonian frugivore

Throughout Amazonia, overfishing has decimated populations of fruit-eating fishes, especially the largebodied
characid, Colossoma macropomum. During lengthy annual floods, frugivorous fishes enter vast
Amazonian floodplains, consume massive quantities of fallen fruits and egest viable seeds. Many tree
and liana species are clearly specialized for icthyochory, and seed dispersal by fish may be crucial for
the maintenance of Amazonian wetland forests. Unlike frugivorous mammals and birds, little is known
about seed dispersal effectiveness of fishes. Extensive mobility of frugivorous fish could result in extremely
effective, multi-directional, long-distance seed dispersal. Over three annual flood seasons, we tracked
fine-scale movement patterns and habitat use of wild Colossoma, and seed retention in the digestive
tracts of captive individuals. Our mechanistic model predicts that Colossoma disperses seeds extremely
long distances to favourable habitats. Modelled mean dispersal distances of 337–552 m and maximum
of 5495 m are among the longest ever reported. At least 5 per cent of seeds are predicted to disperse
1700–2110 m, farther than dispersal by almost all other frugivores reported in the literature. Additionally,
seed dispersal distances increased with fish size, but overfishing has biased Colossoma populations to
smaller individuals. Thus, overexploitation probably disrupts an ancient coevolutionary relationship
between Colossoma and Amazonian plants.