DNA barcoding has been used extensively to solve taxonomic questions and identify new species. Neotropical fishes are found in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, with a large number of species yet to be described, many of which are very difficult to identify. Characidae is the most species-rich family of the Characiformes, and many of its genera are affected by taxonomic uncertainties, including the widely-distributed, species-rich genus Astyanax. In this study, we present an extensive analysis of Astyanax covering almost its entire area of occurrence, based on DNA barcoding. The use of different approaches (ABGD, GMYC and BIN) to the clustering of the sequences revealed ample consistency in the results obtained by the initial cutoff value of 2% divergence for putative species in the Neighbor-Joining analysis using the Kimura-2-parameter model. The results indicate the existence of five Astyanax lineages. Some groups, such as that composed by the trans-Andean forms, are mostly composed of well-defined species, and in others a number of nominal species are clustered together, hampering the delimitation of species, which in many cases proved impossible. The results confirm the extreme complexity of the systematics of the genus Astyanax and show that DNA barcoding can be an useful tool to address these complexes questions.

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Tetragonopoterus aeneus Hensel (1870) is removed from synonymy with Astyanax fasciatus (Cuvier, 1819), revalidated and redescribed as A. henseli to avoid homonymy. Astyanax henseli differs from A. fasciatus stricto sensu and other Astyanax species by the presence of two to four maxillary teeth, two vertically-elongated humeral spots, dentary tooth cusps positioned close to one another, and the slender form of the dentary teeth.Tetragonopterus aeneus Hensel (1870) é retirada da sinonimia de Astyanax fasciatus (Cuvier, 1819), revalidada e redescrita como A. henseli para evitar homonímia. Astyanax henseli diferencia-se de A. fasciatus stricto sensu e das demais espécies de Astyanax pela presença de dois a quatro dentes no maxilar, duas manchas humerais verticalmente alongadas, cúspides dos dentes do dentário situadas próximas entre si, e dentes do dentário relativamente estreitos.

The relationships between fish composition, connectivity and morphometry of 103 lagoons in nine freshwater ecoregions (FEOW) between 2·83° S and 37·64° S were evaluated in order to detect possible congruence between the gradient of species richness and similarities of assemblage composition. Most lagoons included in the study were <2 km(2) , with a maximum of 3975 km(2) in surface area. Combined surface area of all lagoons included in the study was 5411 km(2) . Number of species varied locally from one to 76. A multiple regression revealed that latitude, attributes of morphometry and connectivity, and sampling effort explained a large amount of variability in species richness. Lagoon area was a good predictor of species richness except in low latitude ecoregions, where lagoons are typically small-sized and not affected by marine immigrants, and where non-native fish species accounted for a significant portion of species richness. Relationships between species and area in small-sized lagoons (<2 km(2) ) is highly similar to the expected number in each ecoregion, with systems located between 18·27° S and 30·15° S attaining higher levels of species richness. Similarities in species composition within the primary, secondary and peripheral or marine divisions revealed strong continental biogeographic patterns only for species less tolerant or intolerant to salinity. Further support for the FEOW scheme in the eastern border of South America is therefore provided, and now includes ecotonal systems inhabited simultaneously by freshwater and marine species of fishes.

This study aims to provide a list of fish species from the Igaraçu River and some lakes of the lower Parnaíba River, Delta do Parnaíba, northeastern state of Piauí, Brazil. Eleven collecting points were sampled in a coastal area, in a wind farm, during the dry season in November 2011. A total of 1,023 individuals of 24 species, 13 families and 6 orders were collected. The most representative families in number of species were Characidae, Cichlidae and Curimatidae, respectively. Astyanax aff. bimaculatus, Serrapinnus piaba and Psellogrammus kennedyi presented the greatest abundance and distribution among the sampling points. Oreochromis niloticus was the only alien species captured. No fishes were captured in five sampling sites. Voucher material is deposited in a new zoological collection, “Coleção Zoológica do Delta do Parnaíba”.