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.

Large-scale Degradation of the Tocantins-Araguaia River Basin.

The Tocantins-Araguaia Basin is one of the largest river systems in South America, located entirely within Brazilian territory. In the last decades, capital-concentrating activities such as agribusiness, mining, and hydropower promoted extensive changes in land cover, hydrology, and environmental conditions. These changes are jeopardizing the basin's biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Population biology of Astyanax lacustris (Pisces, Characiformes) in a Neotropical reservoir and its tributaries.

The aging process of reservoirs has been extensively investigated; however, little is known about how fish populations are adjusted after many years of impoundment. Thus, this study aimed to compare the diet, length-weight relationship, sizes classes, variation in size, and age of Astyanax lacustris Lütken, 1875 collected from lotic and lentic habitats of an aging reservoir. The study group consisted of 730 captured fishes.

Morphological deformities in the invasive driftwood catfish Trachelyopterus galeatus in the Upper Paraná River basin, Brazil: a sign of human impact?

In this study, the authors report morphological deformities in driftwood catfish Trachelyopterus galeatus (Auchenipteridae), an invasive catfish occurring in the Upper Paraná River basin, Brazil. The frequency of anomalous individuals reached 18.3% of all catches.

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics.

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown.

Use of DNA barcode in the identification of fish eggs in tributaries of the Paranapanema River basin.

Fish eggs are often excluded from identification analysis since at this stage of development there are few morphological characters. The correct identification of eggs can provide important information about spawning areas of species. The current work aimed to identify fish eggs in the Tibagi and Cinzas Rivers using the DNA barcode to obtain information on richness and diversity, adding to the existing data in the area.

Aquaculture expansion in Brazilian freshwaters against the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

The Convention on Biological Diversity proposed the Aichi Biodiversity Targets to improve conservation policies and to balance economic development, social welfare, and the maintenance of biodiversity/ecosystem services. Brazil is a signatory of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and is the most diverse country in terms of freshwater fish, but its national policies have supported the development of unsustainable commercial and ornamental aquaculture, which has led to serious disturbances to inland ecosystems and natural resources. We analyzed the development of Brazilian aquaculture to show how current aquaculture expansion conflicts with all 20 Aichi Targets.