Mind the (information) gap: the importance of exploration and discovery for assessing conservation priorities for freshwater fish

Biodiversity conservation often is aimed at areas of high species richness and endemism. Our understanding of freshwater fish diversity in the Neotropics is biased by lack of exploration within mountainous regions that historically have been difficult to access. These regions are particularly likely...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diversity & distributions 2014-01, Vol.20 (1), p.107-113
Main Authors: Alofs, Karen M., Liverpool, Elford A., Taphorn, Donald C., Bernard, Calvin R., López-Fernández, Hernán
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Applied ecology
Aquatic ecosystems
Biodiversity
Biodiversity conservation
BIODIVERSITY VIEWPOINT
Biological and medical sciences
Biological taxonomies
Conservation biology
Endemic species
Endemism
Fauna
Fish
Fresh water ecosystems
Freshwater
Freshwater fishes
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Gold mining
Guiana Shield
Guyana
Habitat conservation
Neotropics
River basins
Rivers
Species
Synecology
taxonomy
upper Mazaruni River
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Summary:Biodiversity conservation often is aimed at areas of high species richness and endemism. Our understanding of freshwater fish diversity in the Neotropics is biased by lack of exploration within mountainous regions that historically have been difficult to access. These regions are particularly likely to contain high species endemism. The upper Mazaruni River drainage is hydrogeographically and climatically distinct from the rest of the Essequibo Basin. Recent ichthyological expeditions to the upper Mazaruni discovered up to 32 species previously unknown to science and a fish assemblage with perhaps the highest level of endemism in the Neotropics. This unique ichthyofauna is threatened by gold mining that has severely degraded aquatic habitats and therefore requires immediate protection.
ISSN:1366-9516
1472-4642
DOI:10.1111/ddi.12127