The stream fish fauna from three regions of the Upper Paraná River basin

Abstract

This study aimed to conduct an inventory of fish assemblages in small streams that are tributaries of large reservoirs in three previously unstudied regions of the Upper Paraná River basin. We sampled 117 streams from 1 st to 3 rd order in Araguari (Nova Ponte hydropower plant reservoir), Paranaíba (Sã o Simã o reservoir) and Grande (Volta Grande reservoir) drainages. In total, 20,696 specimens belonging to 100 species, 53 genera, 20 families and six orders were collected. Of these, 11,530 specimens and 41 species were recorded in Araguari, whereas 17 were exclusive to this drainage. In Grande drainage, 3,537 individuals belonging to 41 species (11 exclusive) and in Paranaíba, 5,629 specimens and 67 species (38 exclusive) were sampled. The mean richness per stream was 6.7 for Grande, 9.0 for Araguari and 10.9 for Paranaíba drainage. The predominant orders were Characiformes, 48% of the total richness, and Siluriformes, 36%. Three species were diagnosed as new: Astyanax sp. 1 (Grande and Paranaíba), Astyanax sp. 2 and Astyanax sp. 3 (both from Araguari), all from scabripinnis group. Another three were considered potentially new: Characidium sp. 1, Characidium sp. 2 and Rhamdiopsis sp. Among all records, eight species are not native from the Paraná basin: the exotics Oreochromis niloticus and Tilapia rendalli and the allochtonous Cyphocharax gillii, Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus, Knodus moenkhausii, Poecilia reticulata, Roeboides descalvadensis and Trichomycterus brasiliensis. This study fills part of the existing knowledge gap about fish from small streams of the Paraná basin. Inventories of the fish fauna from these low-order water courses are important because they highlight their biodiversity relevance, including a significant number of unknown species. Thus, this study contributes to a better knowledge of the stream fish fauna of the upper Paraná River basin, as well as contribute to the establishment of strategies for conservation of this important component of aquatic biodiversity. Keywords: fish, species inventory, new species.FAGUNDES, D.C., LEAL, C.G., CARVALHO, D.R., JUNQUEIRA, N.T., LANGEANI, F., POMPEU, P.S. A ictiofauna de riachos de três regiões do alto rio Paraná.http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1676-06032015018714Resumo: Este trabalho teve como objetivo realizar um inventá rio das assembleias de peixes em pequenos riachos afluentes de grandes reservató rios do alto rio Paraná , em três regiõ es até entã o desconhecidas pela literatura. Foram amostrados 117 riachos de 1 a a 3 a ordens nas bacias dos rios Araguari (na bacia de drenagem do reservató rio de Nova Ponte), Paranaíba (reservató rio de Sã o Simã o) e Grande (reservató rio de Volta Grande). No total foram capturados 20.696 exemplares pertencentes a 100 espécies, seis ordens, 20 famílias e 53 gêneros. Destes, 11.530 exemplares e 41 espécies foram registradas na bacia do Araguari, sendo que 17 dessas espécies sã o exclusivas. Na bacia do rio Grande, foram registrados 3.537 exemplares pertencentes a 41 espécies (11 exclusivas) e na bacia do P...

Small-sized fish: the largest and most threatened portion of the megadiverse neotropical freshwater fish fauna

“…Castro & Casatti, 1997;Castro et. al, 2003;Castro et al 2005;Langeani 2007;Apone et al 2008;Esguícero & Arcifa 2011, Casatti et al 2013Fagundes et al 2015). We also cite here that one of the present authors (RMCC) and collaborators (Castro et.…”

Ichthyofauna of the Ribeirão Frutal and tributaries, upper Rio Paraná basin, Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil

“…Langeani et al (2007) showed that Characidae and Loricariidae, in general, are the two most species-rich families of the upper Rio Paraná basin. In addition, several ichthyofaunal surveys (e.g., , Smith et al 2007, Oliveira et al 2009, Fagundes et al 2015, Hoffmann et al 2015, Cardoso et al 2016, Frota et al 2016 show this pattern in tributaries of the basin. However, in our work Cichlidae was the second most represented family (Fig.…”

Headwater stream fish fauna from the Upper Paranapanema River basin

“…However, there are still many taxa to be better studied and that probably represent new species. It is known, for instance, that Astyanax scabripinnis represents a group of species, some of which still undescribed, and further detailed analysis based on larger and more complete sample series may result in the description new species (e.g., Moreira-Filho & Bertollo 1991, Bertaco & Malabarba 2001, Bertaco & Lucena 2006, Fagundes et al 2015.…”

“…Otothyropsis biamnicus was recently described (Calegari et al 2013) and included in a recent species list of the Upper Paraná (Fagundes et al 2015). The species mentioned above were described in the last 10 years, hence discovered in relative recent times.…”