Continental fishes from the tambaba environmentally protected area, Paraíba state, Brazil

Abstract

Tambaba environmentally protected area is situated on the south coast of Paraíba State, within the Atlantic forest biome of the northeastern region in Brazil. The Tambaba environmentally protected area consists of a series of independent drainages: Graú, Mucatú, and Bucatú river micro-basins, and Caboclo River sub-basin that belongs to Gurugi River micro-basin. Ichthyological samples were collected in five scientific expeditions between months of June and July in 2015. Twenty-nine sites from different habitats (e.g., spanning tributaries, streams, rivers, and estuaries) were accessed for sampling. A total of 44 species distributed within 38 genera, 25 families, and 17 orders were assigned to the Tambaba hydrographic region. Freshwater species comprised 36% (n = 16) and marine-estuarine species 64% (n = 28) of the total collected specimens. Two invasive species occur in the freshwater sites: Cichla monoculus and Poecilia reticulata. Cheirodon jaguaribensis, Cichlasoma orientale, and Crenicichla brasiliensis are endemic to the Brazilian Northeast region with the first species restricted to the Northeast Caatinga and Coastal drainages hydrographic ecoregion.