The cascudos of the genus Hypostomus Lacépède (Ostariophysi: Loricariidae) from the rio Iguaçu basin

We reviewed several large collections of the genus Hypostomus from the rio Iguaçu basin summing up to 793 specimens mainly from the Laboratório de Ictiologia do Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva from Universidade Federal de São Carlos, from fish collection of Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura da Universidade Estadual de Maringá, and from the Museu de História Natural do Capão da Imbuia. Hypostomus albopunctatus, H. commersoni, H. derbyi, and H. myersi are redescribed and Hypostomus nigropunctatus is described as a new species. A practical key for identification of Hypostomus species from the rio Iguaçu is also provided.The authors are indebted to Barbara Brown (AMNH), Mary A. Rogers of Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), Claude Weber and Sonia F. Muller (MHNG), Mark Sabaj-Perez (ANSP), Osvaldo T. Oyakawa (MZUSP), Patrick Campbell (BMNH), Patrice Pruvost (MNHN), Vinícius Abilhoa (MHNCI) and Zilda M. S. Lucena (MCP) for loan of comparative material and hosting museum visits; Renata Ota (UEM- NUP) and Vinícius Abilhoa (MNHCI) for helping with collection data information. Alexandre K. de Oliveira helped with cataloguing specimens at laboratory. Copel and Nupélia provided logistical support in some fieldwork. This study was supported by funds and grants from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for JCG, HAB, and CHZ. CHZ was supported by grants from the US National Foundation (DEB-0315963) through the project entitled Planetary Biodiversity Inventory: All Catfish Species (Siluriformes), Phase I of an Inventory of the Otophysi to visit museums, and JCG from the Robert O. Bass Visitor Fund of FMNH to visit the Field Museum of Natural History.

Cytogenetic analysis of five Hypostomus species (Siluriformes, Loricariidae)

In this work, we analyzed the karyotypes of five Hypostomus species. Hypostomus cf. heraldoi, from the Mogi-Guaçu River, had 2n = 72 chromosomes, with a nucleolar organizer region (NOR) in one chromosomal pair. Hypostomus regani, from the Mogi-Guaçu River had 2n = 72 chromosomes with NORs in two chromosomal pairs. Hypostomus sp., from the Mogi-Guaçu River basin, had 2n = 68 chromosomes, with NORs in two chromosomal pairs. Hypostomus aff. agna, from Cavalo Stream, had 2n = 74 chromosomes with NORs in two chromosomal pairs. Hypostomus cf. topavae, from Carrapato Stream, had 2n = 80 chromosomes, with NORs in two chromosomal pairs. Hypostomus species showed marked diversity in the karyotypic formula, which suggested the occurrence of several Robertsonian rearrangements and pericentric inversions during the evolutionary history of this genus. This hypothesis was supported by the occurrence of a large number of uniarmed chromosomes and multiple NORs in a terminal position in most species and may be a derived condition in the Loricariidae

Neoplecostomus (Teleostei : Loricariidae) from the upper Rio Parana basin, Brazil, with description of three new species

Neoplecostomus paranensis was the only Neoplecostomus species known from the upper Rio Parana basin, and it was diagnosed from its congeners mainly by the absence or reduction of the adipose fin. In this study we describe three new Neoplecostomus species. All of them are promptly differentiated from N. paranensis by having a well-developed adipose fin. Furthermore, the new species are differentiated from congeners by morphometric and meristic traits, in addition to color pattern. Neoplecostomus paranensis is redescribed. We also provide an identification key to all Neoplecostomus species

Phylogeography of Hypostomus strigaticeps (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) inferred by mitochondrial DNA reveals its distribution in the upper Paraná River basin

In this study, phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses of populations identified as Hypostomus strigaticeps from the upper Paraná River basin were conducted in order to test whether these different populations comprises cryptic species or structured populations and to assess their genetic variability. The sequences of the mitochondrial DNA ATP sintetase (subunits 6/8) of 27 specimens from 10 populations (one from Mogi-Guaçu River, five from Paranapanema River, three from Tietê River and one from Peixe River) were analyzed. The phylogeographic analysis showed the existence of eight haplotypes (A-H), and despite the ancestral haplotype includes only individuals from the Tietê River basin, the distribution of H. strigaticeps was not restricted to this basin. Haplotypes A, B and F were the most frequent. Haplotypes D, E, F, G, and H were present in the sub-basin of Paranapanema, two (A and B) were present in the sub-basin of the Tietê River, one (C) was exclusively distributed in the sub-basin of the Peixe River, and one (B) was also present in the sub-basin of the Grande River. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the populations of H. strigaticeps indeed form a monophyletic unit comprising two lineages: TG, with representatives from the Tietê, Mogi-Guaçu and Peixe Rivers; and PP, with specimens from the Paranapanema River. The observed degree of genetic divergence within the TG and PP lineages was 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively, whereas the genetic divergence between the two lineages themselves was approximately 1%. The results of the phylogenetic analysis do not support the hypothesis of existence of crypt species and the phylogeographic analysis confirm the presence of H. strigaticeps in other sub-basins of the upper Paraná River: Grande, Peixe, and Paranapanema sub-basinsThe authors are grateful to Alessandro G. Bifi, Fábio F. Roxo, and Renato Devidé by helping to collect fishes in the fieldworks; to Cristiane Marcia Mileo and Edson Lourenço da Silva to image editing; to Bioedit® by helping with the English language; to Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) for financial support (process number: 07/58641-0). Nupélia provide logistic supportSíPeer Reviewe

Dieta e conteúdo calórico de aves atropeladas na região central do estado do Paraná, Brasil

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2011v24n4p153Foi analisado o conteúdo estomacal e calórico de 70 espécimes de aves atropeladas em estradas da região central do estado do Paraná, Brasil. Das amostras analisadas, 31% foram de aves omnívoras, 30% insetívoras, 16% carnívoras, 14% frugívoras e 9% insetívoro/frugívoras. Diversificação na dieta foi constatada, especialmente, para carnívoros e omnívoros. Os itens alimentares com maior ocorrência foram Coleoptera (20%), Sementes (17%) e Hymenoptera (15%). O item com maior freqüência volumétrica foi Rodentia (35%). Frugívoros e insetívoros apresentaram as maiores médias calóricas. A presença de itens de diversas origens na dieta das espécies pode significar escassez dos itens preferenciais em conseqüência do impacto das rodovias

The cascudos of the genus Hypostomus Lacépède (Ostariophysi: Loricariidae) from the rio Iguaçu basin

We reviewed several large collections of the genus Hypostomus from the rio Iguaçu basin summing up to 793 specimens mainly from the Laboratório de Ictiologia do Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva from Universidade Federal de São Carlos, from fish collection of Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura da Universidade Estadual de Maringá, and from the Museu de História Natural do Capão da Imbuia. Hypostomus albopunctatus, H. commersoni, H. derbyi, and H. myersi are redescribed and Hypostomus nigropunctatus is described as a new species. A practical key for identification of Hypostomus species from the rio Iguaçu is also provided

<b>Avifauna from a <em>campus</em> of Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste, Guarapuava, Paraná State, Brazil</b> - doi: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v33i2.7710 <b>Avifauna from a <em>campus</em> of Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste, Guarapuava, Paraná State, Brazil</b> - doi: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v33i2.7710

This study examined the structure and species richness of the avifauna in CEDETEG <em>campus</em> of Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste (Unicentro), in the urban area of Guarapuava, at Paraná State. Data were monthly taken from July 2006 to June 2007 using transects. A total of 125 bird species belonging to 42 families and 16 orders was recorded. The absence of large frugivorous species reveals the destabilization of native vegetation, evidencing that the current floristic structure does not support more specialized species. However, from the total amount of registered birds, 47 (38%) are related to the forest environment in the study area and 25 species (20%) are exclusive of this environment, pointing out the strong relevance of this <em>campus</em> for the conservation of these populations.<br>This study examined the structure and species richness of the avifauna in CEDETEG <em>campus</em> of Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste (Unicentro), in the urban area of Guarapuava, at Paraná State. Data were monthly taken from July 2006 to June 2007 using transects. A total of 125 bird species belonging to 42 families and 16 orders was recorded. The absence of large frugivorous species reveals the destabilization of native vegetation, evidencing that the current floristic structure does not support more specialized species. However, from the total amount of registered birds, 47 (38%) are related to the forest environment in the study area and 25 species (20%) are exclusive of this environment, pointing out the strong relevance of this <em>campus</em> for the conservation of these populations

Genetic differentiation among ten populations of the genus Neoplecostomus (Teleostei: Loricariidae) from the upper Parana River basin

Seven populations of the genus Neoplecostomus with undefined taxonomic status plus Neoplecostomus corumba, Neoplecostomus paranensis, and Neoplecostomus yapo were analyzed by means of allozyme electrophoresis technique. We performed electrophoretic analysis of six enzyme systems. Ten loci and 23 alleles were detected, showing similar banding patterns to those found for N. yapo. The index of heterozygosity showed an excess of homozygotes. N. paranensis showed no allelic variation and the Carandai population showed the highest expected heterozygosity (0.242). The analysis of the values of genetic identities and distances showed that most genetic similar populations were Monjolo and Sapucai (I = 0.958) and the most divergent populations were N. yapo and Cachoeira (I = 0.128). A dendrogram constructed through the similarity index and a cladogram yielded by Maximum Likelihood (ML) analysis of the allele frequencies were in general congruent. N. yapo was the most divergent species in the similarity dendrogram but clustered with the Casca d'Antas population in the ML analysis. The relationships of Carandai and Tamborete populations and that of N. corumba and Cachoeira and the close positioning of Sapucai, Monjolo, Espraiado and N. paranensis were revealed in both analysis. Our data reinforce the use of allozymes as an auxiliary tool for taxonomic and conservation studies on Neoplecostomus, as it reveals many putative genetically isolated populations. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq