Matheus V. Volcan

The fish fauna of the Corrientes stream basin, Patos lagoon system, state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil

The fish sampled in this study were captured in seasonal collections samplings, conducted between May 2006 and February 2007 in 15 stretches of the Corrientes stream basin, Patos lagoon system, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. A total of 8088 specimens were collected, belonging to nine orders, 24 families and 68 species. In general, the ichthyofauna in this basin has the same pattern recognized for Neotropical rivers with predominance of Characiformes and Siluriformes orders and a high representative of the Characidae and Loricariidae families.

Effect of temperature on growth of the threatened annual fish Austrolebias nigrofasciatus Costa & Cheffe 2001

This study evaluated the effect of temperature on growth of Austrolebias nigrofasciatus, an endemic and threatened annual killifish species of the Patos-Mirim lagoon system in Southern Brazil. In order to verify the effect of temperature on initial growth of A. nigrofasciatus, eggs stored in the laboratory were hatched and juveniles reared for eight weeks at 16 and 22 oC. The standard length of newly hatched fishes was 4.67 ± 0.25 mm and after eight weeks they reached 23.68 ± 3.73 and 22.68 ± 5.36 mm, respectively at 16 and 22 oC. However, initial growth of fish reared at 22 oC was faster and they reached sexual dimorphism at an earlier age compared to those reared at 16 oC. Final length of females reared at 22 oC was 23.00 ± 2.83 mm, they were significantly larger than those reared at 16 oC (17.91 ± 2.47 mm). Males were significantly larger than the females at 16 oC, but there was no difference for growth between sexes of fish reared at 22 oC. The sex ratios were 1:0.6 and 1:1.1 (M:F) at 16 oC and 22 oC, respectively, suggesting temperature determination of phenotypic sex. Considering the results, it appears that juveniles to be developed in captivity should be kept at 22 oC during the first six weeks of life, thus ensuring a higher growth rate until puberty.

Two new species of Melanorivulus (Cyprinodontiformes: Cynolebiidae) from Rio Verde drainage, Upper Rio Paraná basin, Brazil

Two new species of the genus Melanorivulus are herein described from the middle Rio Verde drainage, upper Rio Paraná basin, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Both new species are members of the Melanorivulus pictus clade, diagnosed by having ventral process of angulo-articular vestigial and flanks intense greenish blue or greenish golden to purplish blue above anal fin base in males. Melanorivulus nigropunctatus, new species, from wetlands of a small drainage tributary of right side of the Rio Verde, differs from all other congeners by possessing black dots over the head and body in both sexes and pectoral fin orange with a dark grey margin in males. Melanorivulus ofaie, new species, is found in a similar environment, but at the opposite margin of the Rio Verde. It is distinguished by males presenting flank greenish blue to light blue, with seven to nine oblique chevron-like red bars, ventral portion of head whitish with dark brown spots, dorsal fin yellow with two to three transverse broad red oblique stripes and distal region red, anal fin light orangish yellow, basal area light blue with short red bars and distal portion with a dark red margin, and caudal fin yellow or orangish yellow with three to four vertical red bars in the dorsal and middle portions, sometimes with a orange distal margin. Both new species are considered endangered due to the loss and degradation of their habitat.

A new annual fish of the genus Austrolebias (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae) from Rio Camaquã basin, Laguna dos Patos system, Brazilian Pampa

A new species of Austrolebias is described from the middle course of the Rio Camaquã, Laguna dos Patos system, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The new species belongs to the Austrolebias alexandri species group, which is distinguished from the remaining congeners by the presence of a dark gray pectoral fin with bright blue iridescence in males. The new species is distinguished from all remaining species of the A. alexandri species group by the following combination of characters: presence of well-defined bright blue bars on the flank in males, shorter caudal fin length in males and females, contact organs in the first three rays of the pectoral fin in males, one to two post-optic neuromasts (rarely three), basihyal width of 50% of the length, and basihyal cartilage about 50-60% of the basihyal length. The recognition of this new species belonging to the A. alexandri group endemic of the middle course of Rio Camaquã and the recent discovery of Austrolebias bagual in the same general region reinforces the claim of the middle Rio Camaquã basin as an area of endemism for annual fishes and as such, a priority area for conservation in southern Brazil.

Brazilian killifishes risk extinction

The annual killifishes are a diversified group of small fish in Africa and South America ([ 1 ][1]). Annual killifish are unique in their ability to survive in ephemeral pools; they have short, seasonal life cycles, laying eggs that lie dormant in the soil once the pools have evaporated and then

Review of the family Rivulidae (Cyprinodontiformes, Aplocheiloidei) and a molecular and morphological phylogeny of the annual fish genus Austrolebias Costa 1998

The family Rivulidae is the fourth most diverse clade of Neotropical fishes. Together with some genera of the related African family Nothobranchiidae, many rivulids exhibit a characteristic annual life cycle, with diapausing eggs and delayed embryonic development, which allows them to survive in the challenging seasonal ponds that they inhabit. Rivulidae also includes two species known as the only the self-fertilizing vertebrates and some species with internal fertilization. The first goal of this article is to review the systematics of the family considering phylogenetic relationships and synapomorphies of subfamilial clades, thus unifying information that is dispersed throughout the literature. From this revision, it is clear that phylogenetic relationships within Rivulidae are poorly resolved, especially in one of the large clades that compose it, the subfamily Rivulinae, where conflicting hypotheses of relationships of non-annual and annual genera are evident. The second goal of this work is to present an updated phylogenetic hypothesis (based on mitochondrial, nuclear, and morphological information) for one of the most speciose genus of Rivulidae, Austrolebias. Our results confirm the monophyly of the genus and of some subgeneric clades already diagnosed, but propose new relationships among them and their species composition, particularly in the subgenus Acrolebias.(AU)

Population dynamics of Melanorivulus rossoi , a restricted geographic distribution killifish species

Species of Melanorivulus present behaviour and physiological traits that allow them to live in marginal aquatic habitats. In particular, Melanorivulus rossoi is a small nonannual fish only known from its type locality in the Brazilian Cerrado. In this study, we aimed to characterize the distribution and temporal variation in body size, sex ratio, density, length-weight relationship (LWR) and condition factor (CF) of M. rossoi in its natural habitat. To accomplish this, fish samples were taken monthly for a year using sieve nets every 30xa0min. Body size of males and females increased throughout the year until early summer. LWR was significant, and general coefficient of determination (r2) was 92%. Juveniles showed negative allometric growth, but adults showed positive allometric growth. Both sexes presented the same tendency of temporal variation in CF, with lower values in October and January and peaks in September and February. Fire occurred in June, but no difference in population parameters was observed after this event. A decrease in the abundance of Melanorivulus was related with an increase in the abundance of Erythrinidae juveniles. This might be explained by an increased predation of this species over the M. rossoi individuals, when the population was reduced to about 30% of that in the previous months. We report four new locations where this species was recorded; thus, similar to most Rivulidae members, M. rossoi has a restricted distribution area and is threatened with extinction. Therefore, our results may be useful in developing management strategies aimed at conservation of this species and its habitat in Brazil.

First record of blackfin pearlfish Austrolebias nigripinnis (Regan, 1912 (Cyprinodontiformes, Cynolebiidae) from Brazil

Austrolebias Costa is a genus of annual fish inhabiting temporary wetlands in the Chaco-Pampasic region of southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina (Costa, 2006, Nielsen & Pillet, 2015, Alonso et al., 2016). Currently, about 45 species of Austrolebias are known (Costa, 2006, Volcan et al., 2014, Nielsen & Pillet, 2015), and of these, 24 occur in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil, distributed across the Rio Uruguay basin and the Patos-Mirim lagoon system and adjacent coastal areas (Volcan et al., 2015).