Fishes of the Atlantic Rainforest of Boraceia: testimonies of the Quaternary fault reactivation within a Neoproterozoic tectonic province in Southeastern Brazil

The upper portion of the Rio Guaratuba, located in the Serra do Mar coastal range of Southeastern Brazil, shows biological and geological evidences of being captured and diverted away from its original course in the direction of the Parana River Basin to become a coastal river due to the Quaternary activity of NW-trending faults. Despite draining directly to the Atlantic Ocean, the upper portion of the Guaratuba still maintains an ichthyofauna that is typical of the adjoining Parana River Basin rather than the characteristic fish fauna of the Brazilian coastal drainages. The fish fauna of the upper Guaratuba is an evident testimony of the tectonic process that allowed the faunal interchange between the upland basins and the coastal drainages that probably has been taking place in Southeastern Brazil throughout the long geological history of the passive Brazilian continental margin.

Structure and composition of the stream ichthyofauna of four tributary rivers of the upper Rio Parana basin, Brazil

The ichthyofauna of 24 stretches of streams, all of 100 m length and of fifth or lower order and most of second and third order, were sampled along four left bank tributaries (Rio do Peixe, Rio Aguapei, Rio Sao Jose dos Dourados, lower Rio Tiete of the main channel of the Rio Parana in the state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. Sampling of the fish fauna at each of the six sites in the four basins incorporated a standardized fish collecting methodology and a standardized documentation of environmental data serving as the basis for a comparative analysis of the collecting locations. The 8,189 fish specimens collected represented six orders, 18 families, 42 genera, and 56 species, with a total biomass of 28.8 kg. Approximately 52% of the collected species were characiforms, 28% siluriforms, 9% gymnotiforms, 5% cyprinodontiforms, 4% perciforms, and 2% synbranchiforms. The most abundant of the species were the characiforms Astyanax altiparanae (15% of total) and Knodus moenkhausii (12% of total). The two species with the largest overall biomasses were A. altiparanae (34% of total biomass) and the siluriform Hypostomus sp. (8% of total biomass). Analysis of the trophic structure of the studied ichthyofauna indicated that the 10 numerically dominant species across the 24 sampled streams can be grouped into five guilds that are in decreasing order of numerical importance: omnivores, insectivores, insectivores/invertivores, periphytivores, and algivores. Species richness in the sampled stream stretches varied from six to 20 species with an average richness of 14. The species richness estimated by extrapolation for all 24 sampled stream stretches was 67 species. The Characidae are predominant among the collected specimens with approximately 50% of both individuals and biomass, a fact hypothesized to be a function of several attributes typical of the family. Six of the 56 collected species were new to science and six other species are of indefinite taxonomic status and require further analysis in order to determine their identity.

Hisonotus piracanjuba, a new species of Hypoptopomatinae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the rio Paranaiba, upper rio Parana system, central Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Reproductive biology of the neotropical superfetaceous Pamphorichthys hollandi (Cyprinodontiformes : Poeciliidae)

We investigated sex ratio, reproductive period, fecundity, and sexual dimorphism of Pamphorichthys hollandi in southeastern Brazil. Reproductive status was identified according to a female's gonads/embryos development scale. of the 613 collected specimens, 373 (60 %) were females and 240 (40 %) males giving a sex ratio of I male: 1.6 female. Sexual dimorphism was evident in respect to body size, body coloration, and anal and pelvic-fin morphologies. The highest proportion of reproductive females was registered in January and February, which represent wet and hot periods. The simultaneous presence of more than one litter at different stages of development within a single female characterized this species as superfetaceous.

Avaliação de cargas difusas e simulação de autodepuração no Córrego da Água Branca, Itirapina (SP)

According to CONAMA Resolution No. 357, the Água Branca Creek is framed in Class 2 and along its course the characteristics should be consistent with this class. Evaluation of diffuse loads and simulation of auto-purification in the Água Branca Creek allowed evaluating the alterations in the quality of the freshwater. The major contribution of diffuse loads in the basin of the White Water Creek is related to agriculture. The QUAL2K modeling identified the autopurification zones at Água Branca Creek and indicated the necessity BDO removal of 75%.

Hisonotus bocaiuva, a new species from the rio São Francisco basin, Brazil (Teleostei: Loricariidae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Ordem Achnanthales (Bacillariophyceae) de águas doces do Estado de São Paulo: levantamento florístico

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Cleaning interactions between shrimps (Palaemonidae) and freshwater stingrays (Potamotrygonidae) in the Parana River, Southeastern Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Chauliocheilos saxatilis, a new genus and species of Hypoptopomatinae from rio Jequitinhonha basin, with a unique labial appendix (Teleostei: Loricariidae)

Chauliocheilos saxatilis, new genus and species, is described from headwater streams of the rio Itamarandiba, upper rio Jequitinhonha basin, southeastern Brazil. The new genus is diagnosed from all other Loricariidae members by having a unique labial appendix at laterodorsal portion of lower lip, associated to the proximal region of insertion of the maxillary barbel. From all Hypoptopomatinae genera, Chauliocheilos can be distinguished by having two additional series of lateral plates, one between the dorsal and mid-dorsal series, and the other between the mid-ventral and ventral series. In addition, the great number of lateral plates, the absence of the iris operculum, and the posterior dorsal-fin insertion contacting the neural spine of eighth vertebra, are other useful features to recognize the genus. The phylogenetic position of Chauliocheilos among the Hypoptopomatinae, as well as the morphology and possible functions of the labial appendix, are discussed.

Molecular phylogeny of the highly diversified catfish subfamily Loricariinae (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) reveals incongruences with morphological classification

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)