Alien fishes in lakes of the Doce river basin (Brazil): Range, new occurrences and conservation of native communities

The present study shows the distribution of alien fish species in tropical lakes in the middle Doce river basin, southeastern Brazil, obtained from a rapid assessment program. The causes for their introductions were sport-fishing improvement in some specific lakes and aquaculture in the studied basin. Presently, these species have a wide distribution occurring in 41 of the 54 lakes studied, representing an actual threat to regional native fish community. The natural connection among lakes and streams during the rainy season and the dispersal mediated by local people are the main invasion agents for alien fishes. The success of these invaders is probably due to absence of pre-existing effective competitors or top-predators in the invaded communities. We consider that the eradication of alien fishes by means of the available management tools may be very difficult due to the large number of lakes invaded and to the wide spectrum of lake conditions and resources exploited by these alien species. We recommend the use of environmental education as a tool to stop the human-mediated dispersion of aliens and to improve conservation of native fish community in lakes where these alien species are not present yet. © 2004 Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - UFMG

Small size today, aquarium dumping tomorrow: sales of juvenile non-native large fish as an important threat in Brazil

<div><p>ABSTRACT Informal sales of large-bodied non-native aquarium fishes (known as “tankbusters”) is increasing among Brazilian hobbyists. In this study, we surveyed this non-regulated trade on Facebook® from May 2012 to September 2016, systematically collecting information about the fishes available for trading: species, family, common/scientific names, native range, juvenile length, behavior, number of specimens available in five geographical regions from Brazil. We also assessed the invasion risk of the most frequently sold species using the Fish Invasiveness Screening Test (FIST). We found 93 taxa belonging to 35 families. Cichlidae was the dominant family, and most species were native to South America. All species are sold at very small sizes (< 10.0 cm), and most display aggressive behavior. The hybrid Amphilophus trimaculatus × Amphilophus citrinellus, Astronotus ocellatus, Uaru amphiacanthoides, Osteoglossum bicirrhosum, Cichla piquiti, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, Datnioides microlepis and Cichla kelberi were the main species available. The southeast region showed the greatest trading activity. Based on biological traits, the FIST indicated that Arapaima gigas, C. kelberi and C. temensis are high-risk species in terms of biological invasions via aquarium dumping. We suggest management strategies such as trade regulations, monitoring, euthanasia and educational programs to prevent further introductions via aquarium dumping.</p></div

Flebotomíneos de Timóteo, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil (Diptera: Psychodidae) Sand flies in Timóteo, Minas Gerais, Brazil (Diptera: Psychodidae)

Casos esporádicos de leishmaniose tegumentar têm ocorrido no Município de Timóteo, Minas Gerais, basicamente na população rural. Para conhecer a fauna de flebotomíneos da região, foram instaladas sete armadilhas luminosas de New Jersey na cidade, em sete diferentes bairros. As coletas foram realizadas no período de junho a outubro de 1994, dezembro de 1994 e janeiro a março de 1995, com um total de 3.240 horas por armadilha. Foram capturados 4.396 flebotomíneos, distribuídos em dois gêneros e vinte espécies: Brumptomyia cunhai, Brumptomyia nitzulescui, Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) whitmani, Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) intermedia, Lutzomyia quinquefer, Lutzomyia lenti, Lutzomyia (Pintomyia) fischeri, Lutzomyia migonei, Lutzomyia sallesi, Lutzomyia termitophila, Lutzomyia aragaoi, Lutzomyia borgmeieri, Lutzomyia (Psathyromyia) lutziana, Lutzomyia (Sciopemyia) sordellii, Lutzomyia (Pintomyia) pessoai, Lutzomyia (Trichopygomyia) longispina, Lutzomyia misionensis, Lutzomyia (Psychodopygus) davisi, Lutzomyia lanei, Lutzomyia (Pressatia) sp. A espécie L. (N.) whitmani foi a mais freqüente com 52,12%, seguida de L. (N.) intermedia com 34,10%, e ambas podem estar participando da transmissão de leishmaniose cutânea na região.<br>Sporadic cases of tegumentary leishmaniasis have occurred in Timóteo, Minas Gerais State, basically among the rural population. In order to study the region's sand fly population, New Jersey light traps were set in seven different neighborhoods. Specimens were gathered from June through October 1994, December 1994, and January through March 1995, with a total of 3,240 hours per trap. A total of 4,396 sand flies were captured, distributed among two genera and twenty species: Brumptomyia cunhai, Brumptomyia nitzulescui, Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) whitmani, Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) intermedia, Lutzomyia quinquefer, Lutzomyia lenti, Lutzomyia (Pintomyia) fischeri, Lutzomyia migonei, Lutzomyia sallesi, Lutzomyia termitophila, Lutzomyia aragaoi, Lutzomyia borgmeieri, Lutzomyia (Psathyromyia) lutziana, Lutzomyia (Sciopemyia) sordellii, Lutzomyia (Pintomyia) pessoai, Lutzomyia (Trichopygomyia) longispina, Lutzomyia misionensis, Lutzomyia (Psychodopygus) davisi, Lutzomyia lanei, Lutzomyia (Pressatia) sp. The species L. (N.) whitmani was the most frequent, with 52.12% of the total, followed by L. (N.) intermedia with 34.10%, and both may be involved in transmission of tegumentary leishmaniasis in the region

Removing the abyss between conservation science and policy decisions in Brazil

The executive and legislative branches of Brazilian government have either proposed or taken a variety of initiatives that threaten biodiversity and ecosystems. Opposition by the scientific community has largely been ignored by decision-makers. In this short essay, we present recent examples of harmful policies that have great potential to erode biodiversity, and we suggest ways to communicate scientific knowledge to decision makers. If the current gap between conservation science and policies is not filled, the country will threaten the maintenance of its natural capital and, consequently, the sustainability of essential societal activities in the long term

We need better understanding about functional diversity and vulnerability of tropical freshwater fishes

This commentary extends a discussion initiated by Toussaint et al. (Sci Rep 6:22125, 2016) concerning the relationship between global patterns of freshwater fish functional diversity (FD) and its vulnerability to human impacts