The pejerrey Odontesthes bonariensis (Valenciennes, 1835) is an inland water ¢sh from the Pampas region comprising part of Argentina, Uruguay and the South of Brazil. Pejerrey is a very popular ¢sh in this region and has a long history of domestic and international introductions, which attests to the high quality and market value of its £esh, as well as its attractiveness as a game ¢sh. The desirable characteristics of pejerrey also make it a good candidate for aquaculture, and the ¢rst trials on pejerrey cultivation (atheriniculture) were started more than a century ago in Argentina. In spite of the considerable interest in its development, little progress has been made and atheriniculture is still restricted to propagation and stocking for sport ¢shing purposes. In this review, we summarize the history of atheriniculture and the biological, technological, scienti¢c, cultural and infrastructural constraints to pejerrey aquaculture development thus far. We also suggest possible scenarios of pejerrey aquaculture development compatible with the socio^economic conditions of South American countries. Our projections also take into consideration recent scienti¢c ¢ndings on the biology of pejerrey and technological advances in seafood processing, storage and transportation, as well as the latest trends of seafood consumption and international markets. The best production strategy remains to be determined by trial and error but it is likely that, initially, production should focus on a di¡erentiated, high-quality ¢sh for the premium or international markets rather than attempting to compete with the cheap ¢sh from natural sources. An international cooperation project with Japan has successfully demonstrated the feasibility of breeding pejerrey in captivity and mass producing seeds e⁄ciently in Argentina, and has provided the foundation for the development of intensive and extensive farming of this species.

Aliphatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, furans, and trace metals have been quantified in fishes collected at four stations in Río de la Plata to determine contaminant sources, elucidate interstation and interspecies differences, and assess the health risks associated with fish consumption. Río de la Plata fish present low trace metal concentrations and moderate to high levels of organic pollutants, particularly aliphatic hydrocarbons and PCBs. The highest concentrations were recorded in Prochilodus lineatus, a dominant and remarkably specialized fatty detritivore that feeds on contaminated organic-rich flocculent matter. Lower levels were registered in Cyprinus carpio and especially in Mugil cephalus, reflecting different feeding preferences. A geographical pattern of higher contaminant concentrations close to the Buenos Aires urban center and lower levels in distant stations was also observed. The multivariate analysis of contaminant signatures indicated that most contaminated Prochilodus had fresh petrogenic and PCB traces, similar to fossil fuels and Aroclor 1254-1260, whereas Mugil and fish from distant sites presented a higher proportion of biogenic hydrocarbons and of more chlorinated PCBs. Toxicity equivalents ranged from 11 to 39 pg·g fresh weight-1 in Prochilodus, exceeding the guideline of 25 pg·g-1 for human consumption, with allowable consumption rates as low as 1 g fish·day-1.

Odontesthes bonariensis is an inland water fish from the Pampas region, valued due to the quality of its flesh and its attractiveness as a game fish. Chasico ´Lake located in the south of the pampean region is appreciated by fishermen due to O. bonariensis abundance. However, in the last year, a reduction in their catches was recorded. In this work, it was analyzed the changes of O. bonariensis biomass in relation to climate change and salinity in Chasico ´Lake from 1997 to 2013. From 2004 to 2013, when a dry period began, a reduction in lake area (68.1-47.4 km 2 ) and an increase in salinity (18.9-41.5 g l -1 ) were observed. O. bonariensis catches showed a significant decrease in the same period as a result of salinity increments. Possibly, at high salinity, O. bonariensis may still develop but with an impaired reproduction and limited embryo and juvenile survival. In conclusion, after 2004, the fishery quality in Chasico ´Lake showed a decreasing trend from the maximum registered in the Pampas lakes. This was in agreement with a marked decrease in the lake area which in turn increased water salinity up to levels close to the O. bonariensis tolerance limit.

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