Simple SummaryThe immense rainforest ecosystems of tropical America represent some of the greatest concentrations of biodiversity on the planet. Prominent among these are evolutionary radiations of freshwater fishes, including electric eels, piranhas, stingrays, and a myriad of small-bodied and colorful tetras, cichlids, and armored catfishes. In all, the many thousands of these forms account for nearly 10% of all the vertebrate species on Earth. This article explores the complimentary roles that ecological and geographic filters play in limiting dispersal in aquatic species, and how these factors contribute to the accumulation of species richness over broad geographic and evolutionary time scales.AbstractThe Neotropical freshwater ichthyofauna has among the highest species richness and density of any vertebrate fauna on Earth, with more than 5,600 species compressed into less than 12% of the world's land surface area, and less than 0.002% of the world's total liquid water supply. How have so many species come to co-exist in such a small amount of total habitat space? Here we report results of an aquatic faunal survey of the Fitzcarrald region in southeastern Peru, an area of low-elevation upland (200–500 m above sea level) rainforest in the Western Amazon, that straddles the headwaters of four large Amazonian tributaries; the Juruá (Yurúa), Ucayali, Purús, and Madre de Dios rivers. All measures of fish species diversity in this region are high; there is high alpha diversity with many species coexisting in the same locality, high beta diversity with high turnover between habitats, and high gamma diversity with high turnover between adjacent tributary basins. Current data show little species endemism, and no known examples of sympatric sister species, within the Fitzcarrald region, suggesting a lack of localized or recent adaptive divergences. These results support the hypothesis that the fish species of the Fitzcarrald region are relatively ancient, predating the Late Miocene-Pliocene (c. 4 Ma) uplift that isolated its several headwater basins. The results also suggest that habitat specialization (phylogenetic niche conservatism) and geographic isolation (dispersal limitation) have contributed to the maintenance of high species richness in this region of the Amazon Basin.

–  We report on lateral movements of fish between an Amazonian headwater river (Manu River in Manu National Park, Perú) and a 24‐ha oxbow lake (Cocha Cashu) in the adjacent floodplain. During wet season flood pulses, or ‘crecientes,’ fish can enter and exit the lake through a connecting channel that is normally dry. To investigate fish movements, we operated a bi‐directional funnel trap in the connecting channel during high water interludes. We captured 4090 fish of 60 species during the 2005 and 2006 rainy seasons and sub‐sampled the adults for gonadal state and stomach contents. We found that most exiting fish were gravid and that most entering fish had recently spawned, suggesting that fish were leaving the lake to spawn in the river or elsewhere. Entering fish had full stomachs more often than exiting fish and entering and exiting individuals of most species were of similar size.

We report results of an ichthyological survey of the upper Rio Yuruá in southeastern Peru. Collections were made at low water (July-August, 2008) near the headwaters of the Brazilian Rio Juruá. This is the first of four expeditions to the Fitzcarrald Arch — an upland associated with the Miocene-Pliocene rise of the Peruvian Andes — with the goal of comparing the ichthyofauna across the headwaters of the largest tributary basins in the western Amazon (Ucayali, Juruá, Purús and Madeira). We recorded a total of 117 species in 28 families and 10 orders, with all species accompanied by tissue samples preserved in 100% ethanol for subsequent DNA analysis, and high-resolution digital images of voucher specimens with live color to facilitate accurate identification. From interviews with local fishers and comparisons with other ichthyological surveys of the region we estimate the actual diversity of fishes in the upper Juruá to exceed 200 species.

We report results of an ichthyological survey of the Lower Urubamba river, a tributary of the Ucayali river located in the southwestern portion of the Amazon Basin in southeastern Peru. Collections were made at low water (July, 2009) from 280 - 310 m elevation, near the town of Sepahua within the Fitzcarrald Arch, an upland associated with Pliocene (c. 4 Ma) uplift of the Peruvian Andes. This is the second of four planned expeditions to the region with the goal of comparing ichthyofaunas across the headwaters of the largest tributary basins in the western Amazon (Juruá, Ucayali, Purús and Madre de Dios). Twenty-one sites were sampled using seine nets, hook lines, cast nets and dip nets. A total of 98 species in 22 families and eight orders were captured and identified. The most diverse families are Characidae (40 spp.) and Loricariidae (20 spp.), and 12 families are represented by a single species. These data suggest that the fish fauna of the Lower Urubamba river near Sepahua is distinct from, and less diverse than, adjacent areas of lowland Amazonia.

We report for the fi rst time the presence of the Andean-Mountain Cavy, Microcavia niata, in Peru, being a new genus and species for Peruvian wildlife. We base our report on two specimens found in the highlands of Tacna, southwestern Peru. RESUMEN Reportamos por primera vez para el Perú al Cuy del Altiplano, Microcavia niata, la cual representa un nuevo género y especie para la fauna silvestre del Perú. Basamos este reporte en dos ejemplares encontrados en las tierras altas de Tacna, suroeste de Perú.