Fishes (Actinopterygii) of the Rapids and Associated Environments in the Lower Vaupés River Basin: An Undiscovered Colombian Amazon Diversity
ORCID
Urbano-Bonilla: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0190-8913; Garcia-Melo: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2885-5652; Peña-Bermudez: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3900-3826; Correa: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4466-6923; Carvalho: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5901-1634
MSU Affiliation
College of Forest Resources; Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Creation Date
2026-03-30
Abstract
The Vaupés River stands out as one of the few within the Amazon basin due to its numerous rapids. These riverine fast-flowing sections not only provide habitat to highly specialized fishes but also function as natural barriers hindering the movement of fish along its course. During a fish-collecting expedition in the lower Vaupés River basin in Colombia, 95 species were registered belonging to 30 families and seven orders. Despite recent inventories in the region, our comprehensive sampling efforts particularly focused on the rapids and associated rheophilic fauna, allowing us to contribute the first records of four fish species in Colombia (Myloplus lucienae Andrade, Ota, Bastos & Jégu, 2016, Tometes makue Jégu, Santos & Jégu, 2002, also first record of the genus, Leptodoras praelongus (Myers & Weitzman, 1956), and Eigenmannia matintapereira Peixoto, Dutra & Wosiacki, 2015) and six presumably undescribed species (i.e., Jupiaba sp., Moenkhausia sp., Phenacogaster sp., Bunocephalus sp., Hemiancistrus sp., and Archolaemus sp.). In this study, a commented list of the ichthyofauna of these environments is presented, as well as a photographic catalog of fish species integrated into the CaVFish Project – Colombia.
Publication Date
5-30-2024
Publication Title
ZooKeys
Publisher
Pensoft Publishers
First Page
131
Last Page
158
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Urbano-Bonilla A, Garcia-Melo JE, Peña-Bermudez ME, Melo-Ortiz OE, Ordoñez OS, Correa SB, Carvalho TP, Maldonado-Ocampo JA (2024) Fishes (Actinopterygii) of the rapids and associated environments in the lower Vaupés River Basin: an undiscovered Colombian Amazon diversity. ZooKeys 1203: 131-158. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1203.100642
