Ichthyofauna from the Emas National Park region: composition and structure

E Benedito-Cecilio,C S Pavanelli,M F Gimenes,F H G Rodrigues,C V Minte-Vera,C H Zawadzki

doi:10.1590/s1519-69842004000300002

E Benedito-Cecilio, C S Pavanelli + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1519-69842004000300002

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Abstract

The relationship between habitats and the ichthyofauna composition in the Parque Nacional das Emas (PNE) and adjacent areas (the Araguaia and Sucuriú rivers) are provided and could be applied in determining the Park's future zoning. Samples of the ichthyofauna and limnological parameters were obtained during both dry (September 1999) and wet (December 1999) seasons. Ichthyofauna collections resulted in the capture of 4,740 specimens of 22 species. The most abundant species in the Araguaia River during the two sampling seasons were Astyanax sp. 2 and Hasemania sp. In the Sucuriú River and PNE, Astyanax scabripinnis cf. paranae and Hoplias aff. malabaricus were the most frequent species. The largest number of species and diversity index were recorded for the Araguaia River. However, sound management policies require more detailed studies on the fish communities of the Cerrado biome.

Highlights

The cerrado of central Brazil covers two million square kilometers and makes up the second largest bioma in South America (Troppmair, 1995)
The Eletrobrás Expansion Plan 1999-2008 aims at the construction of two hydroelectric plants, Itumirim on the Correntes River, Paranaíba basin and Couto Magalhães on the Araguaia River, both directly affecting the headwaters of the rivers surrounding the Park
Five sampling sites were established in the Parque Nacional das Emas (PNE) station: Formoso River (FORM), Jacuba River (JACU), Capivara River (CAPI), and the Água Ruim (RUIM) and Buriti Torto (BURI) streams

Summary

Introduction

The cerrado of central Brazil covers two million square kilometers and makes up the second largest bioma in South America (Troppmair, 1995). Brazil’s agricultural frontiers are still expanding in a central-western direction, the present cerrado is highly fragmented, with its original area reduced to about 20% (Myers et al, 2000). The Eletrobrás Expansion Plan 1999-2008 aims at the construction of two hydroelectric plants, Itumirim on the Correntes River, Paranaíba basin and Couto Magalhães on the Araguaia River, both directly affecting the headwaters of the rivers surrounding the Park. It is impossible to foresee how those impacts and other environmental changes may affect the fish assemblages. This is partly due to scanty knowledge of their diversity. PNE is reported to have exuberant vertebrate fauna, the ichthyofauna has up to now been poorly surveyed

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