Fish Fauna in Oxbow Lakes of the Middle Purus River in the Neotropical Region of the Amazon Rainforest / Fauna de peixes em lagos de meandro abandonado no Médio Rio Purus na região Amazônica Neotropical

Abstract

The effect of the flood pulse directs productivity and interactions of biota in abandoned oxbow lakes, as these habitats provide refuge from predators and serve as nurseries and feeding grounds for many fish species. The present study was conducted in twelve oxbow lakes with varying degrees of connectivity, located in the floodplain of the Middle Purus River in Brazil. 8.647 individuals were collected among 157 species. Lakes with high hydrological connectivity were shown to have the largest richness of species (131 species), while lakes with medium connectivity had slightly smaller richness (123 species), and lakes with low connectivity had even less (113 species). The results show high diversity in lakes that are attributed different connectivity, thereby indicating the importance of studies focused on oxbow lakes that contribute with relevant information on the composition of fish species in the Middle Purus River