Paulo A. Buckup

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.

Two new species of Hypoptopomatinae from the rio Paraíba do Sul basin, with comments on the monophyly of Parotocinclus and the Otothyrini (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)

Two new species of loricariid catfishes, Parotocinclus bidentatus and P. muriaensis, are described from the rio Paraiba do Sul basin. They possess accessory unicuspid teeth located internally to the series of bicuspid teeth in premaxillary and dentary bones. According to a parsimony analysis of phylogenetic relationships among the Hypoptopomatinae, the new taxa are members of the genus Parotocinclus, even though they lack a fully developed adipose fin. They differ from most species of Parotocinclus because they have accessory teeth. Within the Hypoptopomatinae, accessory teeth are also found only in P. collinsae and members of the genera Eurycheilichtys, Epactionotus and Niobichthys.

Astyanax henseli, a new name for Tetragonopterus aeneus Hensel, 1870 from southern Brazil (Teleostei: Characiformes)

Tetragonopoterus aeneus Hensel (1870) is removed from synonymy with Astyanax fasciatus (Cuvier, 1819), revalidated and redescribed as A. henseli to avoid homonymy. Astyanax henseli differs from A. fasciatus stricto sensu and other Astyanax species by the presence of two to four maxillary teeth, two vertically-elongated humeral spots, dentary tooth cusps positioned close to one another, and the slender form of the dentary teeth.

Two New Species of Characidium (Characiformes: Crenuchidae) from Paraguay and Xingu River Basins. State of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Abstract Characidium nupelia, new species, is described from the upper Rio Paraguay basin, and C. xavante, new species, from the upper Rio Xingu basin, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The two species comprise a group diagnosed by a high number (12–18) of dark vertical bars on the body, each bar having the width of a scale. Characidium nupelia differs from C. xavante by having 12 instead of 10 scales around the caudal peduncle, a narrower interorbital distance, and a deeper caudal peduncle. Both species lack an adipose fin, have an incomplete lateral line, and have a conspicuous dark blotch on the caudal peduncle. Breeding males of the two new species present sexual hooks on some pelvic and pectoral branched fin rays. Characidium nupelia, nova espécie, é descrita da bacia do alto rio Paraguai, e C. xavante, nova espécie, da bacia do alto rio Xingu, Estado do Mato Grosso, Brasil. As duas espécies formam um grupo diagnosticado pelo elevado número (12–18) de barras verticais escuras no corpo, cada barra com a largura de uma escama. Characidium nupelia difere de C. xavante por apresentar 12 ao invés de 10 escamas circumpedunculares, distância interorbital menor e pedúnculo caudal mais alto. Ambas têm nadadeira adiposa ausente, linha lateral incompleta e uma mancha escura conspícua no pedúnculo caudal. Machos maduros das duas espécies novas apresentam ganchos sexuais em alguns raios ramificados das nadadeiras pélvica e peitoral.

A poorly known case of watershed transposition between the São Francisco and upper Paraná river basins

During construction of the Furnas hydroelectric power dam in the upper rio Parana basin in the early 1960s, the rio Piumhi drainage outflow was diverted into the headwaters of the Sao Francisco river basin. The rio Piumhi was a right bank tributary of the rio Grande, which unites with the rio Paranaiba to form the rio Parana. The transposition allowed the entire fish fauna of the rio Piumhi and associated swamps, lakes, and tributaries to intermingle with the fish fauna of the Sao Francisco basin via the ribeirao Sujo, a right bank tributary of the Sao Francisco. The transposition of the watershed may have had a major impact on the current composition of the fish fauna of the upper rio Sao Francisco watershed.

A new species of Hyphessobrycon Durbin(Characiformes: Characidae) from the rio Juruena basin, Central Brazil, with notes on H. loweae Costa & Géry

Uma especie nova de Hyphessobrycon, H. peugeoti, e descrita do trecho medio da drenagem do rio Juruena, bacia do alto rio Tapajos, estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil. Ela difere de todas as congeneres, com excecao de H. loweae e H. heliacus, pelo alongamento em forma de filamento da nadadeira dorsal e pela margem aproximadamente reta da nadadeira anal em machos adultos. Ela difere de H. loweae e H. heliacus por possuir coloracao geral vermelha em vida (vs. colorido dourado em vida em H. loweae e H. heliacus). Alem disto, a especie nova difere de H. heliacus por nao possuir marcas em forma de divisas ao longo da linha media do corpo (vs. marcas em forma de divisas presentes em H. heliacus), e de H. loweae por possuir apenas cinco series de escamas horizontais entre a origem da nadadeira dorsal e a linha lateral (vs. 6-7 em H. loweae) e por possuir elevado numero de raios ramificados na nadadeira anal (21-24, moda 22, vs. 17-21, moda 20 em H. loweae). Dados meristicos, morfometricos e de distribuicao geografica adicionais sao fornecidos para H. loweae, incluindo os primeiros registros da especie na bacia do rio Tocantins-Araguaia. Discute-se um grupo presumidamente monofiletico que inclui H. peugeoti, H. loweae, H. heliacus, H. elachys e H. moniliger.

First bird remains from the Upper Cretaceous of the Peirópolis site, Minas Gerais state, Brazil

ABSTRACT We report on the first occurrence of Maastrichtian bird material from the Peirópolis locality (Uberaba district), Minas Gerais State (Brazil). The specimens consist of an indeterminate pedal ungual phalanx (CPP 481), a pedal phalanx 1 of left digit II (CPP 470) and an incomplete metatarsal III (CPP 482). The material can be assigned to Aves gen. et sp. indet. (CPP 470 and CPP 481) and to cf. Enantiornithes gen. et sp. indet. (CPP 482). Despite the isolated and incompleteness nature of these specimens, they add to the otherwise poor record of Cretaceous birds from Brazil.

Cytogenetics of Imparfinis schubarti (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) from the Piumhi drainage, a diverted river in Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Specimens of Imparfinis schubarti (Gomes, 1956) collected in the Piumhi river drainage, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, were studied cytogenetically. The river was diverted from the Rio Grande Basin into the Sao Francisco basin in the early 1960s. All individuals presented 2n = 58 chromosomes, including 18 metacentric, 34 submetacentric and six subtelocentric chromosomes. A secondary constriction was observed in the interstitial region of the long arm of the largest chromosome pair, coinciding with the NOR. A single conspicuous heterochromatic block located in the largest pair of metacentric chromosomes was observed, adjacent to the secondary constriction. A detectable 18S rDNA probe hybridization region occurs in only one chromosome pair and is synthenic with the marking obtained with 5S rDNA probe. These results fit the cytogenetic pattern previously described for the genus Imparfinis Eigenmann & Norris, 1900.

Characidium stigmosum (Characiformes: Crenuchidae): A New Species of Characidiin Fish from Central Brazil

Abstract A new species of Characidium is described from tributaries of the rio Paranã (Tocantins drainage), in Goiás State, central Brazil. Characidium stigmosum is diagnosed by the presence of dark marks along the sides of the body, which are associated with the vertical bars that occur in most species of Characidium. These marks are vertically oriented elliptical, except one or two anteriormost marks which may be roundish or horizontally elongate; there is usually one mark for each bar above abdominal area and two marks for each bar on posterior half of body; lower marks are slightly offset posteriorly. Characidium stigmosum shares apomorphic traits with the clade comprised of Characidium rachovii, Characidium occidentale, Characidium orientale, and Characidium vestigipinne.

Chromosomal evidence of downstream dispersal of Astyanax fasciatus (Characiformes, Characidae) associated with river shed interconnection

In the 1960s, as a part of the construction of the Furnas Hydroelectric Power Dam, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the Rio Piumhi was diverted from the Rio Grande drainage to the São Francisco River basin, with the resulting introduction of species from one basin to the other. Chromosomal characteristics of various populations of Astyanax fasciatus sensu Eigenmann from the transect region were studied using cytogenetic techniques, with the goal to identify and map the dispersal of invasive species in the Rio São Francisco. Populations of the Rio Grande and Rio Piumhi are distinct from those of the São Francisco basin based on chromosome markers associated to the heterochromatin, Ag-NORs, 18S rDNA, 5S rDNA, and As-51 satellite DNA sites. Individuals with karyomorph originally present in the Piumhi drainage are now present in the São Francisco basin, downstream from the transposition channel. This expansion of the distribution corroborates a hypothesis of progressive substitution of native populations by the invasive Piumhi form.