Fish assemblage composition in a tributary of the Mogi Guaçu river basin, southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Fish assemblage composition and seasonal patterns of species abundance were studied in Cabaceiras stream, a tributary of the Mogi Guaçu river in São Paulo State, Brazil. Three stations were sampled monthly from June 1999 to May 2000 using sieves and small trawl net and gill nets. Fifteen fish families, 37 genera and 45 species were captured. Characiformes (27 spp.) and Siluriformes (13 spp.) were the most species-rich orders. Gymnotiformes and Perciformes were represented by two species each, and Synbranchiformes had only a single species. One group of species (approximately 75 %) persisted in the stream throughout the year. A second group (approximately 25 %) contained species that only occupy the stream for a limited period of their life cycle, and overall fish assemblage composition was associated with the seasonal flood cycle.

Fish associated with aquatic macrophytes in the Chacororé-Sinhá Mariana Lake system and Mutum River, Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil

“…The dominance of individuals from the order of Characiformes observed in this study, as well as its high richness, were also reported by Súarez (1998), Britski et al (1999, and Resende et al (2000) for the Pantanal region, and by Catarino and Val (2000), in the Amazon basin, Casatti et al (2003), Lima (2003) and Oliveira and Garavello (2003). Thus, as observed by Pelicice et al (2005) in regions with a high density of vegetation, another important component of the community in this Lake system, in addition to caraciformes, is the Gymnotiformes (about 30% of the local abundance).…”

Fatores que influenciam a comunidade de peixes em dois ambientes no baixo Rio das Mortes, Planície do Bananal, Mato Grosso, Brasil

“…Isso é resultado da influência do regime de inundação, que alterna momentos de expansão e retração laterais dos ambientes aquáticos e regula os movimentos dos peixes entre estes ambientes e a planície de inundação (OLIVEIRA & GARAVELLO 2003).…”

Fish assemblage structure of the Ipanema River, a small lotic environment partially protected by a Conservation Unit in southeastern Brazil

“…The scarcity of long term studies in the river basins does not allow a satisfactory understanding about fish movements, occupation and exploration in these transitional habitats. Fish surveys performed in small tributaries of the Paraná River (Penczak et al, 1994;Pavanelli and Caramaschi, 1997), of Mogi Guaçu River (Oliveira and Garavello, 2003;Birindelli and Garavello, 2005;Perez-Junior and Garavello, 2007;Apone et al, 2008) and of Tietê River (Langeani et al, 2005), all inserted in the upper Paraná River drainage, showed that fish fauna are composed of many persistent and other non-persistent species that explore these environments for reproduction, growth and feeding activities. Fish populations of small body size (up to 200 mm SL) characterise the former group of species, and individuals of medium to large sized species (more than 200 mm SL) compose the latter.…”

“…Fish richness and the persistence of the large sized species may be conditioned by water volume, proximity of the stream stretches with the main great river channel, with seasonal flood cycle and with the declivity of such small rivers. This last factor was shown to be important for reproductive migratory fish movement in the tributary of Mogi Guaçu River studied by Oliveira and Garavello (2003). Young of great sized species may persist in small rivers stretches for more than a hydrological cycle but, as they grow, habitats with high water volume become necessary for occupation and exercise of their biological activities.…”