SECTION B: LIFE SCIENCES
Abstract
I conducted a fish inventory at the Cormoran Lagoon, in the icthyogeographic area Upano-Zamora, during October 2011 (dry season), February 2012 (transition period), and May 2012 (rainy season). Fish were sampled using four trammels (20 m length, 1.5 m height), 40 fishing lines, and a hand net. A total of 599 individuals of 16 species and six families were captured. The order Characiformes was the most abundant and diverse, and Lebiasina elongata (Lebiasinidae) and Astyanax fasciatus (Characidae) were the most abundant species. Species abundance gradually decreased as the rainy season arrived. Elevational ranges of the genus Chaetostoma (Chaetostoma microps) and of the family Heptapteridae (Rhamdia quelen) are increased to 1783 m in Ecuador. Fish diversity at Cormoran Lagoon still needs more studies. It is necessary to carry out taxonomic, ecological, and biogeographic studies that contribute to the knowledge of fish diversity in this tropical aquatic ecosystem. It is posible that some species are endemic, specially in the genera Astroblepus and Bryconamericus.
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