Conserver les spécificités de l'ichtyofaune guyanaise

Abstract

The French Guiana freshwaters present a specific richness comparable or even greater than in the other Neotropical basins, but with a high degree of endemism. The authors describe two types of specialized ichthyofauna in French Guiana, the first west of Kourou River and the second to the east. Knowledge of the ichthyofauna from upper basins is still incomplete, and as a result any risk of diminishing their biodiversity through indiscriminate human activities should be avoided. Strict conservation measures must be enacted to protect and manage this original ichthyological heritage.