Abstract
The Northern Atlantic Forest (NAF) is drained by small to medium-sized coastal drainages located north of São Francisco River that are inhabited by 48 native freshwater fish species, of which one is endangered and one is endemic. Most are small-sized species long adapted to a variety of aquatic microhabitats. The ichthyofaunal composition of the Northern Atlantic Forest may be drastically altered due to intense anthropogenic actions over 5 centuries. The main threats affecting the ichthyofauna, that is, removal of riparian vegetation, urbanization, and introduction of non-native species, are discussed. To protect these fishes, proper management of Conservation Units is indispensable, but also ichthyofaunal surveys and taxonomic studies. This chapter is unique in offering a taxonomic list of the freshwater fishes from the NAF, with discussion on the effectiveness of the protected areas in the region. It serves as a starting point for development planning and support for conservation acts of fish species in NAF. We highlight data survey was only possible due to fish collections of federal universities in Northeastern Brazil.
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Marinho, M.M.F., Lima, S.M.Q., de Paiva, R.E.C., Ramos, T.P.A. (2023). Fishes from the Northern Atlantic Forest and Their Conservation. In: Pereira Filho, G.A., França, F.G.R., Alves, R.R.N., Vasconcellos, A. (eds) Animal Biodiversity and Conservation in Brazil's Northern Atlantic Forest. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21287-1_9
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