An update to the inventory of shore-fishes from the Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano, Veracruz, México

Abstract

Data on marine and brackish-water fishes recorded in the area of the Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano in the southwest Gulf of Mexico were extracted from online aggregators of georeferenced location records, the recent ichthyological literature reviewed, and collections and observations made to provide a more complete faunal inventory for that park. Those actions added 95 species to a comprehensive inventory published in 2013, and brought the total to 472 species, an increase of 22%. Seventy-four percent of the additions came from online aggregators of georeferenced species records, which clearly demonstrates the value of reviewing and incorporating such data into species inventories. However, different aggregators recorded different sets of species, and some of their data were linked to outdated taxonomy or included identification errors. Hence individual records from multiple aggregators need to be obtained and reviewed for such issues when using such data to compile and revise faunal inventories. Existing lists also need to be carefully reviewed to ensure that errors are not perpetuated during updates.