Rapid assessment of the ichthyofauna of the southern Guiana Shield tributaries of the Amazonas River in Pará, Brazil

Guilherme M Dutra,Wolmar B Wosiacki,Tiago M S Freitas,Marina B Mendonça,Luciano F A Montag,André L Netto-Ferreira,Bruno S Prudente,Luiz A W Peixoto,Gilberto N Salvador,Manuela D V Leão,Fabio R Silva

doi:10.1590/1809-4392201901402

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Northern Pará Drainage System encompasses the left-bank tributaries of the Amazonas River in the southern Guiana Shield region of Pará state, Brazil. Five of the region’s state protected areas are considered strategic for the conservation of its biodiversity. In the present study, we assessed the ichthyofauna of the five state protected areas of the Northern Pará Drainage System. Seven expeditions were conducted between January 2008 and January 2009, which surveyed stretches of the Cuminá, Cuminapanema, Curuá, Jari, Mapuera, Nhamundá, and Paru rivers. These surveys yielded 286 species belonging to 38 families and eight orders, including seven new records of fish species for Brazil, six of which are also new records for the Amazon basin. Our results provide a valuable database for future research and conservation programs in the protected areas of the region.

Highlights

The Northern Pará Drainage System (NPDS) encompasses the left-bank tributaries of the Amazonas River in the southern Guiana Shield region of Pará state, Brazil
The present study focused on five state protected areas (Figure 1): Faro State Forest (FLOTA Faro), Trombetas State Forest (FLOTA Trombetas), Paru State Forest (FLOTA Paru), Grão-Pará Ecological Station (ESEC Grão-Pará), and Maicuru Biological Reserve (REBIO Maicuru)
The FLOTA Faro is the smallest of these conservation units, with an area of 635,936 ha, and is drained primarily by the Nhamundá River, which separates the Brazilian states of Amazonas and Pará (SEMA 2011b)

Summary

Introduction

The Northern Pará Drainage System (NPDS) encompasses the left-bank tributaries of the Amazonas River in the southern Guiana Shield region of Pará state, Brazil. This area encompasses five strictly-protected or sustainable-use conservation units, as defined by the Brazilian National System of Conservation Units (Brasil 2000). Together with other types of federal protected areas, such as indigenous lands, the NPDS forms the Northern Pará Biodiversity Corridor, which connects the Central Amazonian Biodiversity Corridor with the Amapá. Rapid assessment of the ichthyofauna of the southern Guiana Shield tributaries of the Amazonas River in Pará, Brazil. DUTRA et al Ichthyofauna of the southern Guiana Shield in Pará

Methods

Results

Conclusion