Importance of the Congonhas River for the conservation of the fish fauna of the Upper Paraná basin, Brazil

DIEGO AZEVEDO ZOCCAL GARCIA (Program of Biological Sciences, State University of Londrina, Department of Animal and Plant Biology, Laboratory of Fish Ecology and Biological Invasions, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445, Km 380, Postal Code 10.011, CEP 86057-970, Londrina, State of)
ANA PAULA VIDOTTO-MAGNONI (Program of Biological Sciences, State University of Londrina, Department of Animal and Plant Biology, Laboratory of Fish Ecology and Biological Invasions, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445, Km 380, Postal Code 10.011, CEP 86057-970, Londrina, State of)
ALEXANDRO DERLY AUGUSTO COSTA (Program of Biological Sciences, State University of Londrina, Department of Animal and Plant Biology, Laboratory of Fish Ecology and Biological Invasions, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445, Km 380, Postal Code 10.011, CEP 86057-970, Londrina, State of)
ARMANDO CÉSAR RODRIGUES CASIMIRO (Program of Biological Sciences, State University of Londrina, Department of Animal and Plant Biology, Laboratory of Fish Ecology and Biological Invasions, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445, Km 380, Postal Code 10.011, CEP 86057-970, Londrina, State of)
LUCAS RIBEIRO JARDULI (University Center of Ourinhos, Department of Biological Sciences, Rodovia BR 153, Km 338, CEP: 19909-100, Ourinhos, State of São Paulo, Brazil)
JOÃO DANIEL FERRAZ (Program of Biological Sciences, State University of Londrina, Department of Animal and Plant Biology, Laboratory of Fish Ecology and Biological Invasions, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445, Km 380, Postal Code 10.011, CEP 86057-970, Londrina, State of)
FERNANDA SIMÕES DE ALMEIDA (Program of Biological Sciences, State University of Londrina, Department of Animal and Plant Biology, Laboratory of Fish Ecology and Biological Invasions, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445, Km 380, Postal Code 10.011, CEP 86057-970, Londrina, State of)
MÁRIO LUÍS ORSI (Program of Biological Sciences, State University of Londrina, Department of Animal and Plant Biology, Laboratory of Fish Ecology and Biological Invasions, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445, Km 380, Postal Code 10.011, CEP 86057-970, Londrina, State of)

Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity
Vol. 20 No. 2 (2019)

Abstract. Garcia DAZ, Vidotto-Magnoni AP, Costa ADA, Casimiro ACR, Jarduli LR, Ferraz JD, De Almeida FS, Orsi ML. 2019. Importance of the Congonhas River for the conservation of the fish fauna of the Upper Paraná basin, Brazil. Biodiversitas 20: 474-481. The Upper Paraná River basin is among the most fragmented watersheds in the world. The Congonhas River belongs to this drainage system, which has its mouth in the Capivara Reservoir and can be considered the largest tributary free-from-dam, becoming important for the maintenance of fish species richness. In order to know more about the species present in this tributary, we aimed to provide an inventory of fish fauna of the Congonhas River and reproductive strategies to determine whether the river is used by migratory species and whether there is a longitudinal variation in the fish assembly. These findings will provide subsidies to contribute to the implementation of policies to protect biodiversity. Samplings occurred in the upper, middle and lower stretches of the Congonhas River during four periods between 1991 and 2011. Fishes were captured using gill nets from 2 to 14 cm mesh sizes between opposite knots and cast nets, identified and categorized according to their reproductive strategies. A total of 4,640 individuals belonging to 63 species, of which 79.4% consisted of Characiformes and Siluriformes were captured. Furthermore, 14% of fish were long-distance migratory species (e.g., Piaractus mesopotamicus, Megaleporinus obtusidens, Prochilodus lineatus, Salminus brasiliensis, Pinirampus pirinampu, and Pseudoplatystoma corruscans). In addition, there was an increase in the fish species richness from upstream to downstream. Management actions such as prohibition of fishing, rehabilitation of riparian vegetation, and protection of the basin against dam construction will reduce anthropogenic impacts on the ecosystem. The Congonhas River highlights the importance of preserving lotic environmental for the conservation of migratory and non-migratory Neotropical fish diversity into a heavily modified watershed.