title: Fish composition and species richness in eastern South American coastal lagoons: additional support for the freshwater ecoregions of the world.
abstract: The relationships between fish composition, connectivity and morphometry of 103 lagoons in nine freshwater ecoregions (FEOW) between 2·83° S and 37·64° S were evaluated in order to detect possible congruence between the gradient of species richness and similarities of assemblage composition. Most lagoons included in the study were <2 km(2) , with a maximum of 3975 km(2) in surface area. Combined surface area of all lagoons included in the study was 5411 km(2) . Number of species varied locally from one to 76. A multiple regression revealed that latitude, attributes of morphometry and connectivity, and sampling effort explained a large amount of variability in species richness. Lagoon area was a good predictor of species richness except in low latitude ecoregions, where lagoons are typically small-sized and not affected by marine immigrants, and where non-native fish species accounted for a significant portion of species richness. Relationships between species and area in small-sized lagoons (<2 km(2) ) is highly similar to the expected number in each ecoregion, with systems located between 18·27° S and 30·15° S attaining higher levels of species richness. Similarities in species composition within the primary, secondary and peripheral or marine divisions revealed strong continental biogeographic patterns only for species less tolerant or intolerant to salinity. Further support for the FEOW scheme in the eastern border of South America is therefore provided, and now includes ecotonal systems inhabited simultaneously by freshwater and marine species of fishes.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento Socioambiental de Macaé, NUPEM, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro-UFRJ, Avenida São José do Barreto, 764, 27965-045, Macaé, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Petry
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, Caixa Postal 15007, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: T F R
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.affiliation: Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento Socioambiental de Macaé, NUPEM, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro-UFRJ, Avenida São José do Barreto, 764, 27965-045, Macaé, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Vasconcellos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, Caixa Postal 15007, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hartz
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, Caixa Postal 15007, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, CCEN, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, UFPB, 58051-900, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecología Teórica y Aplicada, CURE-Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goyenola
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Avenida Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, CCS, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Caramaschi
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biotaxonomía Morfológica y Molecular de Peces, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC)-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Casilla de Correo 1260, Correo Central, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Díaz de Astarloa
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional da Mata Atlântica, Avenida José Ruschi 4, Centro, 29650-000, Santa Teresa, ES, Brazil.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Sarmento-Soares
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ictiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Avenida Itália, km 8, 96203-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ictiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Avenida Itália, km 8, 96203-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecología Teórica y Aplicada, CURE-Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Teixeira de Mello
authors.affiliation: Campus Parnaíba, Universidade Estadual do Piauí-UESPI, Avenida Nossa Senhora de Fátima, sn, Bairro de Fátima, 64202-220, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: F A G
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: de Melo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecología Teórica y Aplicada, CURE-Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meerhoff
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, UFRN, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Attayde
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, UFRN, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecología Teórica y Aplicada, CURE-Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mazzeo
authors.affiliation: Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento Socioambiental de Macaé, NUPEM, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro-UFRJ, Avenida São José do Barreto, 764, 27965-045, Macaé, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Dario
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D044822:Biodiversity; D005399:Fishes; D005618:Fresh Water; D013020:South America
keywords: FEOW; connectivity; neotropics; salinity tolerance; species-area relationship