Brazilian tropical fishes in their southern limit of distribution: checklist of Santa Catarina’s rocky reef ichthyofauna, remarks and new records

Abstract

Abstract:We present a checklist of 278 species of reef fishes recorded along the coastline of Santa Catarina state, the southernmost limit of distribution of tropical ichthyofauna on the coast of Brazil. regius are reported for the first time, respectively, from the Southwestern Atlantic and for the coastal part of this region, while Acanthurus monroviae is reported for the second time for the Southwestern Atlantic. We present habitat distribution, trophic structure and comment on biogeographic affinities of this transitional region, discussing both remarkable species presences and absences.

Kelps’ Long-Distance Dispersal: Role of Ecological/Oceanographic Processes and Implications to Marine Forest Conservation

“…The continental shelf off this region is located near the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence (BMC) region, located at 38 • S ± 2 • [59,62]. The Falkland Current (Malvinas Current) acts as a branch of the sub-Antarctic Front, which is the northernmost oceanographic process associated with the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the Drake Passage [63].…”

“…This is also where the South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) current is formed ( Figure 1). The nutrient rich, low temperature current intrudes the shallower strata near the continental shelf and is responsible for the common upwelling phenomena, over a 27 km section of the coast [65], from the southern region of Santa Catarina Island (27 • 35 S) to the Cape Santa Marta (28 • 37 S) [62,66]. During austral winters, this area is influenced by the La Plata river plume, which increases nutrients, and the Sub-Antarctic currents, which reduce the temperatures [67,68].…”

“…The southwestern Atlantic biogeographic ecocline described above is also known as the "Arc of Capricorn", representing the southernmost limit of distribution of many tropical organisms [62,69], a warm temperate biogeographic province [70] or general perspective [71]. This region presents a clear seasonal pattern with lowest surface temperatures around 16 • C observed during winter, and the highest temperatures up to 28 • C observed during summer [62,72].…”

New records of Hippocampus patagonicus Piacentino & Luzzatto, 2004 (Teleostei: Syngnathidae) from the coast of Paraná, southern Brazil

“…Most of the characters provided by Piacentino and Luzzatto (2004) Silveira et al (2014) and González et al (2014). The seahorse H. patagonicus seems to have a limited and uneven distribution in Brazil, known only from a few records from the states of Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul (Anderson et al 2015, Silveira et al 2014; present study). Although it is well documented that seahorses, as a general rule, have high levels of site fidelity and small home ranges , the isolated and sparse populations of this species along the Brazilian coast might be consequence of long-distance migration, as described by Boehm et al (2013) and Luzzatto et al (2014).…”

“…Its distribution seems to be restricted to the coasts of Argentina and Brazil (Piacentino and Luzzatto 2004;Boehm et al 2013;González et al 2014;Silveira et al 2014), and this the southernmost occurring species of its genus in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Previous records of H. patagonicus in Brazil were provided by Boehm et al (2013), Silveira et al (2014) and Anderson et al (2015).…”