Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Diversity and Distribution of the Upper Juruá River Fish Community (Brazilian Amazon)

Abstract

We studied spatial and temporal patterns in fish species composition and diversity at the upper Jurua River located in the west Brazilian Amazon. We collected with gillnet 822 fishes belonging to 90 species in the main Jurua River, its tributaries and the floodplain lakes during wet and dry seasons. Fish abundance and species richness were greater in the dry season. During that season, fishes may be concentrated due to the low water level, being caught more easily by gillnets. There has been a trend towards a greater fish biomass caught in lakes. This might be associated with a greater environmental stability as lakes may be less subject to large variations in water level. The fish communities differed between the two seasons and between lakes and the lotic environments (main river and tributaries). Fish species from the family Curimatidae were most abundant in the lakes, while Pimelodus spp. and Hypostomus spp. predominated in the main Jurua River. Seasonal variations in fish communities may be related to differences in the migratory behavior among fish species. Such spatial and temporal patterns influencing fish community structure at the Upper Jurua Extractive Reserve must be accounted for in management and conservation strategies.