Coastal fishes of Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil, with new records

Abstract

An updated and reviewed checklist of coastal fishes of the Rio Grande do Norte state, northeastern coast of Brazil, is presented. Between 2003 and 2013 the occurrence of fish species were recorded through collection of specimens, landing records of the artisanal fleet, literature reviews and from specimens deposited in ichthyological collections. A total of 459 species from 2 classes, 26 orders, 102 families and 264 genera is listed, with 83 species (18% of the total number) recorded for the first time in the study area. Additionally, Halichoeres radiatus, Lachnolaimus maximus and Canthigaster james tyleri are reported for the first time in the Brazilian coast and nine other species have their geographic distribution extended.

First record of Batrachoides surinamensis (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) and Canthidermis maculata (Bloch, 1786) (Pisces: Teleostei) from Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern coast of Brazil

“…Recently, the coastal fish species of Rio Grande do Norte was revised totaling 459 species, including 4 species of batrachoidids and 5 balistids (Garcia Jr. et al 2015). Therefore, the new occurrences reported here enlarge the distributions for both B. surinamensis and C. maculata and increase the number of species in this state to 461 species.…”

Hogfish Lachnolaimus maximus (Labridae) confirmed in the south‐western Atlantic Ocean

“…(e)]; two specimens were caught in Rio Grande do Norte, one in c . 30 m depth at a fishing spot known as Cumprida (5° 33′ 40·3″S; 35° 03′ 25·6″ W) by a sport fisherman using a spear gun (same record as in Garcia Junior et al ., ) and another one was caught in Ponta do Mel [Fig. (f), (g)].…”

“…(k)]. Thus, in consideration of the diversity of records recorded here, and one further recently published record from Rio Grande do Norte (Garcia Junior et al ., ), it is recommend that the recognized natural range of L. maximus is extended 3000 km further to the south along the eastern coast of South America.…”

“…In 2010, three observations of L. maximus were reported: one was caught in Alagoas (9 ∘ 01 ′ 00 ′′ S; 35 ∘ 13 ′ 03 ′′ W) by hook-and-line from an artisanal fishing boat [ Fig. 2(e)]; two specimens were caught in Rio Grande do Norte, one in c. 30 m depth at a fishing spot known as Cumprida (5 ∘ 33 ′ 40·3 ′′ S; 35 ∘ 03 ′ 25·6 ′′ W) by a sport fisherman using a spear gun (same record as in Garcia Junior et al, 2015) and another one was caught in Ponta do Mel [Fig. 2(f), (g)].…”

Feeding ecology of the beach silverside Atherinella blackburni (Atherinopsidae) in a tropical sandy beach, Southeastern Brazil

“…Atherinella brasiliensis and Odontesthes bonariensis), A. blackburni prefers high water temperature and salinity (MATTOX et al, 2008), with a sparse distribution limited to the West Atlantic and occurrence throughout Central and South America. Specimens were found in Honduras (MATAMOROS et al, 2009), Costa Rica (GILBERT;CALDWELL, 1967), Venezuela (SCHULTZ, 1949;GASPAR;ÁVILA, 2009) and Brazil (GILBERT;CALDWELL, 1967;OLIVEIRA-SILVA, 2001;MAZZEI et al, 2011;PESSANHA, 2014;GARCIA-JÚNIOR et al, 2015). The current austral limit of the species is at the northern coast of São Paulo state in Brazil (GONDOLO et al, 2011).…”