Peixes da Floresta Nacional de Caxiuanã: 20 anos (1993 a 2012) de amostragem em uma área protegida da Amazônia Oriental

Abstract

The Amazon basin comprises the most diverse freshwater fish fauna in the world, but remains poorly-known concerning the potential number of species. This study aims to produce an updated checklist of fish species from the Caxiuanã National Forest (FLONA Caxiuanã), a protected area of the Eastern Amazon. Sampling from 20 years (1993 to 2012) was compiled from the ichthyological collection of the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi and previously published inventories. A total of 211 fish species belonging to 44 families and 13 orders was recognized for the FLONA Caxiuanã. Characiformes was the richest order with 80 species (representing 38% of the total), followed by Siluriformes (56 species, 27%), Perciformes (33 species, 16%), and Gymnotiformes (21 species, 10%). Almost 40% of the fish diversity was considered new records for the Caxiuanã region, with a higher species increment occurring in 2004, and a lower average increment of species in the last years. Therefore, additional species records could be obtained if more effort were applied in surveying the ichthyofaunal, considering different fishing techniques, and covering different microhabitats.