NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES: A dataset of occurrence and abundance of freshwater fishes in the Neotropics

The Neotropical region hosts 4225 freshwater fish species, ranking first among the world's most diverse regions for freshwater fishes. Our NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set is the first to produce a large-scale Neotropical freshwater fish inventory, covering the entire Neotropical region from Mexico and the Caribbean in the north to the southern limits in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. We compiled 185,787 distribution records, with unique georeferenced coordinates, for the 4225 species, represented by occurrence and abundance data. The number of species for the most numerous orders are as follows: Characiformes (1289), Siluriformes (1384), Cichliformes (354), Cyprinodontiformes (245), and Gymnotiformes (135). The most recorded species was the characid Astyanax fasciatus (4696 records). We registered 116,802 distribution records for native species, compared to 1802 distribution records for nonnative species. The main aim of the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set was to make these occurrence and abundance data accessible for international researchers to develop ecological and macroecological studies, from local to regional scales, with focal fish species, families, or orders. We anticipate that the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set will be valuable for studies on a wide range of ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, fishery pressure, the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, and the impacts of species invasion and climate change. There are no copyright restrictions on the data, and please cite this data paper when using the data in publications.

Distribution of non-native suckermouth armoured catfish Pterygoplichthys ambrosettii in the upper Paraná River basin, Brazil

This study describes the invasion of the upper Paraná River basin by Pterygoplichthys ambrosettii based on a literature review and field samples. Pterygoplichthys ambrosettii has been reported in 42 localities throughout the upper Paraná River basin, including the Tietê, Paranapanema, Paraná, Grande and Aguapeí rivers. The ascent of P. ambrosettii after the inundation of the Sete Quedas Falls on the Paraná River and the release of individuals by aquarium hobbyists were the primary drivers of this invasion.

Feeding ecology of Rhinodoras dorbignyi (Kner, 1855) (Siluriformes: Doradidae) in the Paranapanema River, SP, Brazil

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2016v29n1p67Estudos sobre caracterização da dieta de peixes representam um instrumento que permite determinar relações nas cadeias tróficas, definir hábitos alimentares e a ocupação de habitats e determinar os nichos tróficos das espécies. Para a caracterização da dieta de Rhinodoras dorbignyi, foram realizadas seis coletas bimestrais no alto rio Paranapanema, SP, durante o período de abril de 2010 a fevereiro de 2011. Dos 63 indivíduos capturados, 30 apresentaram algum conteúdo no estômago, sendo utilizados neste estudo. A dieta desta espécie foi determinada utilizando de dois métodos: (i) Índice Alimentar (%IAi); (ii) e a interpretação gráfica da estratégia alimentar. A partir dos resultados obtidos é possível inferir que R. dorbignyi é uma espécie insetívora, sendo que itens de origem autóctone apresentam grande contribuição em sua dieta.