Fish composition (Teleostei) of the estuarine region of the Macaé River, southeastern Brazil

Abstract

The first checklist of fishes of the estuary of the Macaé River (Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil) and its adjacent freshwater section is presented. A total of 24,157 specimens belonging to 110 species in 44 families and 21 orders of the Teleostei were collected based on quarterly samplings, between June 2011 and March 2012. The Sciaenidae was the most representative family in species number, whereas the Ariidae, Pristigasteridae, and the invasive Clariidae predominated numerically and/or in terms of biomass. One hundred fifty-seven species of the Teleostei are now recorded in the Macaé River, including 68 species previously reported from its upper and middle portions. More than 100 of them permanently or temporarily inhabit the lower 16 km of the river, suggesting that the estuary is relevant to the maintenance of the fish diversity of the region in spite of several human activities that have significantly altered its natural features.