Landscape dynamics and diversification of the megadiverse South American freshwater fish fauna

Landscape dynamics are widely thought to govern the tempo and mode of continental radiations, yet the effects of river network rearrangements on dispersal and lineage diversification remain poorly understood. We integrated an unprecedented occurrence dataset of 4,967 species with a newly compiled, time-calibrated phylogeny of South American freshwater fishes—the most species-rich continental vertebrate fauna on Earth—to track the evolutionary processes associated with hydrogeographic events over 100 Ma. Net lineage diversification was heterogeneous through time, across space, and among clades. Five abrupt shifts in net diversification rates occurred during the Paleogene and Miocene (between 30 and 7 Ma) in association with major landscape evolution events. Net diversification accelerated from the Miocene to the Recent (c. 20 to 0 Ma), with Western Amazonia having the highest rates of in situ diversification, which led to it being an important source of species dispersing to other regions. All regional biotic interchanges were associated with documented hydrogeographic events and the formation of biogeographic corridors, including the Early Miocene (c. 23 to 16 Ma) uplift of the Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira and the Late Miocene (c. 10 Ma) uplift of the Northern Andes and associated formation of the modern transcontinental Amazon River. The combination of high diversification rates and extensive biotic interchange associated with Western Amazonia yielded its extraordinary contemporary richness and phylogenetic endemism. Our results support the hypothesis that landscape dynamics, which shaped the history of drainage basin connections, strongly affected the assembly and diversification of basin-wide fish fauna

First cytogenetic record for a species of Otothyropsis Ribeiro, Carvalho & Melo, 2005 (Loricariidae, Hypoptopomatinae)

ABTRACT Hypoptopomatinae is a monophyletic subfamily that includes 147 species, distributed in 20 genera. Otothyropsis is a genus of Hypoptopomatinae, recently described. Here, we provided the first cytogenetic information of Otothyropsis . The specimens were collected from córrego Dourado, a small tributary of rio Iguatemi, which flows into rio Paraná. The specimens of Otothyropsis cf. polyodon were analyzed with respect to diploid number, C-Band and Ag-NOR patterns. The diploid number was 54 chromosomes, distributed in 18 metacentric, 28 submetacentric, and 8 subtelocentric chromosomes, with single Ag-NOR and conspicuous heterochromatic blocks on the short and long arms of the 24th pair of chromosomes. Our study highlights the conservation trend of the diploid number (2n=54) and fundamental number (FN = 108) among the species of Hypoptopomatinae. However, the karyotype formula (18m+28sm+8st) seems to be specific to O. cf. polyodon , considering the other Hypoptopomatinae species already analyzed

Colonization of the Corumbá Reservoir (Corumbá River, Paraná River Basin, Goiás State, Brazil) by the "lambari" Astyanax altiparanae (Tetragonopterinae; Characidae)

This work aimed to determine which population features were important to the colonization process of Astyanax altiparanae in the Corumbá Reservoir. The species presented wide spatial-temporal distribution, caught in all months and sites. Higher CPE values were recorded upstream from the reservoir during the filling phase. In this phase, reproductive activity was intense upstream and moderate in the tributaries. However, a fall in abundance of juveniles was observed after the formation of the reservoir. Among the most relevant population features to grant a successful colonization were wide geographic distribution, ability to occupy and spawn in lentic habitats and feeding flexibility

<b>Fish trophic structure in a first order stream of the Iguatemi River basin, Upper Paraná River, Brazil

We described the spatial distribution of fish trophic groups in the Água Boa Stream, MS, Brazil. Specimens were caught using electrofishing in the upper, intermediate and lower stretches of the stream, between March and November 2008. We analyzed 415 stomach contents of 24 species. Detritus/sediment and aquatic invertebrates were the main exploited resources. Ordination analysis categorized the species in six trophic groups. Aquatic invertivores showed the highest richness (10 species), followed by detritivores (08 species), omnivores (03 species), terrestrial invertivores (03 species), algivores (02 species) and herbivore (01 species). Three trophic groups occurred in the upper stretch, six in the intermediate and five in the lower. Detritivores, omnivores and algivores showed the highest density, while detritivores and aquatic invertivores presented the highest biomass. Autochthonous resources were particularly important to the studied fish fauna, especially aquatic invertebrates, so, conservation actions reducing the simplification of the habitat by silting and recovering the riparian forest are essential to maintain the ichthyofauna of the Água Boa Stream.

Invertebrates associated to Eichhornea azurea Kunth in a lagoon of the Upper Paraná River: composition, community attributes and influence of abiotic factors Invertebrados associados à Eichhornea azurea Kunth em uma lagoa do alto rio Paraná: composição, atributos da comunidade e influência de fatores abióticos

AIM: We evaluated the composition and community attributes of invertebrates associated to Eichhornia azurea at Cascalho Lagoon, Upper Paraná River, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, over a hydrological cycle, as well the possible influence of abiotic factors upon these attributes. METHODS: The samplings were conducted during 2010 in the rainy and dry periods at stands of E. azurea. The attributes evaluated were abundance, richness, diversity, evenness and dominance. The abiotic factors, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH and turbidity were summarized by a Principal Component Analysis (PCA). In order to verify possible differences between the mean values of the community attributes and the scores of the PCA axis in different periods, we employed null models analysis of variance. The influence of abiotic factors on each attribute was evaluated through Pearson correlations. RESULTS: We captured 3,052 individuals, distributed into 32 taxa, belonging to the phyllum Mollusca, Annelida, Nematoda and Arthropoda. Among the assessed attributes, only abundance and richness varied significantly between periods, with higher values during the rainy period. Chironomidade was dominant in both periods, whereas Notonectidae and Cyclopoida were rare in the rainy, and Bivalve, Decapoda, Haliplidae, Trichoptera and Pyralidae, in the dry period. A temporal distinction was evident only for the PCA axis 1, which represented gradients in temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH. Among the community attributes, only abundance was significant and negatively correlated with this axis. CONCLUSION: We attested that: i) the rainy period should add favorable conditions for invertebrates' higher richness and abundance in this macrophyte; ii) only the later attribute was influenced by limnological gradients.OBJETIVO: Nós avaliamos a composição e atributos da comunidade de invertebrados associados à Eichhornia azurea na lagoa do Cascalho, alto rio Paraná, MS, Brasil, durante um ciclo hidrológico, bem como a possível influência de fatores abióticos sobre estes atributos. MÉTODOS: Amostragens foram realizadas em bancos de E. azurea durante os períodos chuvoso e seco em 2010. Os atributos avaliados foram abundância, riqueza, diversidade, equitabilidade e dominância. As variáveis limnológicas temperatura, oxigênio dissolvido, pH e turbidez foram sumarizadas através da Análise de Componentes Principais (PCA). Para verificar possíveis diferenças entre as médias dos atributos e dos escores do eixo 1 da PCA nos diferentes períodos utilizou-se análises de variância de modelos nulos. A influência dos fatores abióticos sobre cada atributo foi avaliada através de correlações de Pearson. RESULTADOS: Nós capturamos 3052 indivíduos, distribuídos em 32 táxons, pertencentes aos filos Mollusca, Annelida, Nematoda e Arthropoda. Dentre os atributos avaliados, apenas a abundância e riqueza variaram significativamente entre os períodos, com maiores valores obtidos para o chuvoso. Chironomidade foi dominante em ambos os períodos enquanto Notonectidae e Cyclopoida foram raros no período chuvoso e Bivalve, Decapoda, Haliplidae, Trichoptera e Pyralidae no período seco. Distinção temporal foi evidente apenas para o eixo 1 da PCA, o qual representou gradientes de temperatura, oxigênio dissolvido e pH. Dentre os atributos avaliados, somente a abundância apresentou correlação significativa e negativa com este eixo. CONCLUSÃO: Ficou evidente que: i) o período chuvoso deve agregar condições favoráveis para a ocorrência de maior riqueza e elevada abundância de invertebrados nesta macrófita; ii) somente este último atributo foi influenciado pelos gradientes limnológicos