Helen Audrey Pichler

Factors influencing spatial patterns of the ichthyofauna of low energy estuarine beaches in southern Brazil

Estuarine beaches are low energy environments found along the coast in several protected places around the world, such as estuaries, bays or areas protected by submerged bars or coral reefs. Although common, these places have been poorly studied. Using a seine net, six beaches were sampled along an environmental gradient for 12 months. During this period, an increase of the dominant species following the increase in salinity and energy values was observed, whilst the opposite pattern occurred for species richness and abundance. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed spatial and temporal variations between beaches and months. Depth and marginal habitats appear to be more important factors than wave height and period, temperature, salinity and pH, which are normally used to describe fish habitat utilization patterns in beaches and estuaries. Nevertheless, specific sampling designs should be proposed to evaluate properly these questions.

Opsanus brasiliensis Rotundo, Spinelli & Zavalla-Camin, 2005 (Teleostei: Batrachoidiformes: Batrachoididae), sinônimo- júnior de Opsanus beta (Goode & Bean, 1880), com notas sobre a ocorrência da espécie na costa brasileira

Caires, R.A., Pichler, H.A., Spach, H. L. & Ignacio, J.M. Opsanus brasiliensis Rotundo, Spinelli & ZavallaCamin, 2005 (Teleostei: Batrachoidiformes: Batrachoididae), a junior synonym of Opsanus beta (Goode & Bean, 1880), with notes on its occurrence in the Brazilian coast. Biota Neotrop. May/Aug 2007 vol. 7, no. 2. http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v7n2/pt/abstract?article+bn02307022007. ISSN 1676-0603. In this paper, two individuals of Opsanus caught in the coast of Parana (the first records of this genus in the southern Brazil) were identified as Opsanus beta (Goode & Bean, 1880). Such speciemens were compared with the type series of Opsanus brasiliensis Rotundo, Spinelli & Zavalla-Camin, 2005 (originally described from the coast of Santos, Sao Paulo), and with the literature data. As a result, Opsanus brasiliensis is herein regarded as a junior synonym of O. beta, and so the exemplars of Opsanus found at the Brazilian coast are exotic. It is herein postulated that O. beta would have invaded the Brazilian coast through ballast water released by vessels that sailed from the natural areas of occurrence of such species.