Naércio A. Menezes

Taxonomic Impediment or Impediment to Taxonomy? A Commentary on Systematics and the Cybertaxonomic-Automation Paradigm

Marcelo R. de Carvalho AE Flavio A. Bockmann AE Dalton S. Amorim AE Carlos Roberto F. Brandao AE Mario de Vivo AE Jose L. de Figueiredo AE Heraldo A. Britski AE Mario C. C. de Pinna AE Naercio A. Menezes AE Fernando P. L. Marques AE Nelson Papavero AE Eliana M. Cancello AE Jorge V. Crisci AE John D. McEachran AE Robert C. Schelly AE John G. Lundberg AE Anthony C. Gill AE Ralf Britz AE Quentin D. Wheeler AE Melanie L. J. Stiassny AE Lynne R. Parenti AE Larry M. Page AE Ward C. Wheeler AE Julian Faivovich AE Richard P. Vari AE Lance Grande AE Chris J. Humphries AE Rob DeSalle AE Malte C. Ebach AE Gareth J. Nelson

Estado atual da sistemática dos peixes de água doce da América do Sul

A fauna sul-americana de peixes de água doce, comparada com a do resto do mundo, é pouco conhecida. Há necessidade de coletas imediatas em muitas regiões, antes que os peixes se tornem raros ou se extingam . A fase descritiva da fauna de peixes de água doce da América do Sul desenvolveu-se em três periodos históricos. De 1750 até aproxima. damente 1866, boa parte dos grandes exemplares de interesse comercial foi descrita por zoólogos europeus. De 1866 a 1930, caracterizou-se por descrições de espécies de grande e pequeno porte, por ictiólogos tanto europeus como norte-americanos . De 1930 ao presente, foi, em parte, um período em que surgiram descrições adicionais na América do Norte, Europa e América do Sul. De 30 a 40% da fauna de peixes de água doce da América do Sul estão por ser descritos. Em termos de descrição e inventariação, o conhecimento desta fauna é comparável ao da fauna de peixes de água doce dos Estados Unidos e Canadá há cerca de 100 anos. Existem atualmente 2. 500 a 3. 000 espécies conhecidas de peixes de água doce na América do Sul e o número final pode chegar a 5. 000. A não disponibilidade de bibliografia antiga sobre peixes, de exemplares de museu para compar:1ções adequadas, e a falta de trabalhos faunisticos para a maior parte das áreas, são fatores que dificultam e até mesmo impossibilitam ictiólogos e biólogos de pesca no desempenno satisfatório de suas profissões na América do Sul. Muitas espécies descritas antes de 1870, precisam ser estuda.ctas e redescritas. A maior parte dos grupos de peixes de água doce sul-americanos necessita revisões taxonOmicas modernas.

Internal fertilization, testis and sperm morphology in glandulocaudinae fishes (Teleostei: Characidae: Glandulocaudinae)

In this report, the gonads of 32 glandulocaudine species, representing 18 genera, are compared with 11 outgroup characiform species. Through the presence of spermatozoa within the ovarian cavity, internal fertilization of the female is confirmed for the 16 genera for which mature ovaries were available. No outgroup ovary studied contains spermatozoa. All mature glandulocaudine testes have a large portion of the posterior testis, which is devoid of developing germ cells and spermatocysts (aspermatogenic), devoted to sperm storage, with the degree of partitioning in that region varying greatly within the group. All outgroup species examined have spermatozoa with spherical nuclei. With the exception of the species of the genus Planaltina, which also have spherical nuclei, all glandulocaudines have elongated nuclei, which vary among the species from 3.6 μm to 31.6 μm in length. Distinct sperm packets (spermatozeugmata) are formed in five genera by two different methods. In the genera Xenurobrycon, Tyttocharax, and Scopaeocharax, all of the tribe Xenurobryconini, the spermatozeugmata are formed within the spermatocysts and released fully formed. In all genera of the tribe Glandulocaudini, which includes Glandulocauda and Mimagoniates, loose spermatozoa are released which cluster into spermatozeugmata within the posterior storage areas. These morphological specializations are discussed within a phylogenetic framework as adaptations for internal fertilization and are hypothesized to be independently derived.

Restricted-Range Fishes and the Conservation of Brazilian Freshwaters

Background Freshwaters are the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Although recent assessments provide data on global priority regions for freshwater conservation, local scale priorities remain unknown. Refining the scale of global biodiversity assessments (both at terrestrial and freshwater realms) and translating these into conservation priorities on the ground remains a major challenge to biodiversity science, and depends directly on species occurrence data of high taxonomic and geographic resolution. Brazil harbors the richest freshwater ichthyofauna in the world, but knowledge on endemic areas and conservation in Brazilian rivers is still scarce. Methodology/Principal Findings Using data on environmental threats and revised species distribution data we detect and delineate 540 small watershed areas harboring 819 restricted-range fishes in Brazil. Many of these areas are already highly threatened, as 159 (29%) watersheds have lost more than 70% of their original vegetation cover, and only 141 (26%) show significant overlap with formally protected areas or indigenous lands. We detected 220 (40%) critical watersheds overlapping hydroelectric dams or showing both poor formal protection and widespread habitat loss; these sites harbor 344 endemic fish species that may face extinction if no conservation action is in place in the near future. Conclusions/Significance We provide the first analysis of site-scale conservation priorities in the richest freshwater ecosystems of the globe. Our results corroborate the hypothesis that freshwater biodiversity has been neglected in former conservation assessments. The study provides a simple and straightforward method for detecting freshwater priority areas based on endemism and threat, and represents a starting point for integrating freshwater and terrestrial conservation in representative and biogeographically consistent site-scale conservation strategies, that may be scaled-up following naturally linked drainage systems. Proper management (e. g. forestry code enforcement, landscape planning) and conservation (e. g. formal protection) of the 540 watersheds detected herein will be decisive in avoiding species extinction in the richest aquatic ecosystems on the planet.

Guia prático para conhecimento e identificação das tainhas e paratis (pisces, Mugilidae) do litoral brasileiro

Although mullets from the Brazilian coast have been commercially ex-ploited for a long time and used in fish culture experiments more recently, data for accurate identification of species are not available in the Brazilian literature. This guide was planned to provide Information for the identification of ali the species found along the Brazilian coast, based on inspection of easily recognizable morphological features. A key to species and data on their distribution, fishery, biology and fish culture in Brazil are presented.

Systematics of the neotropical fish subfamily Glandulocaudinae (Teleostei: Characiformes: Characidae)

The systematics of the Glandulocaudinae is reviewed in detail and justification for the recognition of the group as a subfamily is discussed. The subfamily Glandulocaudinae consists of three genera: Lophiobrycon with one species plesiomorphic in some anatomical features but some others exclusively derived relative to the species in the other genera; Glandulocauda with two species intermediate in phylogenetic derivation; and Mimagoniates with seven species (one new), all more phylogenetically derived concerning their pheromone producing caudal-fin organs and with other anatomical characters presumably more derived than in the species of the other genera. Glandulocauda melanogenys Eigenmann, 1911, is considered a junior synonym of Hyphessobrycon melanopleurus Ellis, 1911. A replacement name, Glandulocauda caerulea Menezes & Weitzman, is proposed for G. melanopleura Eigenmann, 1911. Gland cells found in the caudal-fin organs of all species are histologically indistinguishable from club cells and probably secrete a pheromone during courtship. The club cells are associated with somewhat modified to highly derived caudal scales forming a pheromone pumping organ in the more derived genera and species. This subfamily is distributed in freshwaters of eastern and southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northeastern Uruguay.

Checklist dos peixes de água doce do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

The fish species living in the freshwaters of the Sao Paulo state (393) are distributed among four major river basins: upper Parana, Paraiba do Sul, Ribeira de Iguape and a set of small coastal drainages flowing directly into the Atlantic Ocean. Since these river basins drain areas with distinct vegetation types, soils, etc., each one has a different species composition. In the Upper Parana the large Rio Parana and some of its large tributaries (Tiete, Paranapanema, and Grande) contain large species that support commercial fisheries, however, 70 to 80% of the ichthyofauna is composed by small species found in small streams, including those in headwaters where many are endemic. The inventory of the ichthyofauna greatly benefited from three research projects supported by the BIOTA/FAPESP program, but much work remains to be done to collect and describe new species from areas such as deep channels, headwaters and marginal and swampy areas around ponds and man-made lakes and reservoirs. The ichthyofauna of the Sao Paulo State has suffered from deforestation, sewage, damming of rivers for construction of power plants, urbanization, etc., so that 66 species are currently considered threatened at various levels according to the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

Relação preliminar das espécies de peixes (Pisces, Elasmobranchii, Actinopterygii) ameaçadas no Brasil

The Brazilian fish fauna is still poorly known with respect to its diversity and conservation status, particularly of freshwater species. Human activities and population growth are rapidly impacting this fauna to an unchecked extent, so that many fish species are presently threatened. Also, some areas have been so critically altered that their fish fauna can no longer be properly inventoried. There is an urgent need to evaluate the conservation status of Brazilian fish species, since none are presently listed as endangered by federal legislation. Based on a literature search and a survey directed to the Neotropical ichthyologists, we present an unofficial list including a total of 78 threatened fish species (12 elasmobranchs and 66 actinopterygians). Of these, sixteen actinopterygian species are listed as endangered, three elasmobranchs and nine actinopterygians as vulnerable, and seven actinopterygians as rare; 40 species either have indeterminate status or are data deficient to yield an adequate assessment, and three species are listed as extinct or possibly extinct.

Description of five new species of Acestrocephalus Eigenmann and redescription of A. sardina and A. boehlkei (Characiformes: Characidae)

Acestrocephalus maculosus, A. stigmatus, A. nigrifasciatus, A. acutus, and A. pallidus are described as new species and A. sardina and A. boehlkei are redescribed. Acestrocephalus ginesi is considered synonymous with A. sardina. Specimens of Acestrocephalus anomalus, a valid trans-Andean species, were not available for study. Acestrocephalus stigmatus, A. maculosus, and A. boehlkei have a dark humeral blotch not present in the remaining species and the species within the two species groups thus characterized are told apart by meristic and morphometric data as well as morphological structures associated with the pseudotympanum.

A new genus and two new species of Stevardiinae (Characiformes: Characidae) with a hypothesis on their relationships based on morphological and histological data

Lepidocharax, new genus, and Lepidocharax diamantina and L. burnsi new species from eastern Brazil are described herein. Lepidocharax is considered a monophyletic genus of the Stevardiinae and can be distinguished from the other members of this subfamily except Planaltina, Pseudocorynopoma, and Xenurobrycon by having the dorsal-fin origin vertically aligned with the anal-fin origin, vs. dorsal fin origin anterior or posterior to anal-fin origin. Additionally the new genus can be distinguished from those three genera by not having the scales extending over the ventral caudal-fin lobe modified to form the dorsal border of the pheromone pouch organ or to represent a pouch scale in sexually mature males. In this paper, we describe these two recently discovered species and the ultrastructure of their spermatozoa.