Ictiofauna da bacia do Rio São Francisco Falso Braço Norte, Alto Rio Paraná: produção de um documentário como ferramenta sensibilizadora para a conservação dos ecossistemas

Abstract

Around a third of freshwater fish species are found in South America. Of these, the vast majority are small-sized and, in general, unknown to the population. Species surveys constitutes a solid tool for studying and conserving a region, revealing the species present, and directing the management and future research. Furthermore, improving communication between scientists, managers, fishermen, and other interested parties is essential for conserving freshwater fish fauna. The objective of this work was to inventory fish species in the São Francisco Falso Braço Norte River basin, an important Brazilian tributary of the Lower Paraná River ecoregion, currently artificially connected to the Upper Paraná River ecoregion after the construction of the Itaipu dam. Furthermore, to raise public awareness about issues related to conservation, we elaborate a documentary about the previous objective and the fish in the sampled region. Collections were carried out quarterly for a year at 12 sampling points, using gill nets, trawl nets, cast nets, and sieve. The documentary was filmed at all stages of the research, from the field to the laboratory, as well as freediving (snorkeling) in and near the study area. In total, 1,844 fish were captured and classified into two classes, seven orders, 16 families, 40 genera, and 58 species. The orders Characiformes and Siluriformes were the most diverse, containing 28 (48.28%) and 16 (27.59%) species, respectively, representing 86.23% of the fish captured. Characidae, Loricariidae, and Cichlidae were the most diverse families, with 21 (36.21%), 10 (17.24%), and 8 (13.79%) species, respectively. Four species were identified at the genus level and possibly correspond to new species. Six species were identified at the species complex level and require in-depth taxonomic studies. Five new records were made for the Upper Paraná River basin. Two species represent new records for Brazil. The documentary Ciência Debaixo d'Água adapts the results of this work for the general public, aiming to raise public awareness of topics related to conservation and covering important content for understanding the fauna inventory, such as diversity of species, natural history, biological collections, and non-native species. This work contributes with essential information for conserving the São Francisco Falso Braço Norte River, provides new records at the watershed and country level, and possible undescribed species.