Fish fauna from the estuaries of Ceará state, Brazil: a checklist in support of conservation of the Brazilian semiarid coast

Abstract

We provide extensive surveys in eight estuaries along the coast of Ceará State in Northeastern Brazil, including local samples and data compiled from online data bases and literature. Samplings resulted in a checklist of the estuarine fish fauna, which recorded 126 fish species, and provides original information of some estuaries. Most of the sampled marine species are widely distributed and many are important commercial species for the artisanal fisheries. The addition of records from existing inventories and online collections increases the number of species to 245, of which 11 are threatened (critically endangered or vulnerable) and six are introduced. Our study provides an updated list of fish species of the estuaries along the semiarid coast of Brazil and is intended as a subsidy for further research, conservation and management efforts.

Patterns in composition and occurrence of the fish fauna in shallow areas of the São Francisco River mouth

“…This dominance leads to an uneven distribution of the community (Spach et al 2007). This pattern of dominance of few species is common in other estuaries on the Brazilian coast (Paiva-Filho & Toscano 1987, Teixeira & Falcão 1992, Garcia & Vieira 1997, Vilar et al 2017, Gurgel-Lourenço et al 2023 and in various surface saline/brackish environments.…”