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Sciaenidae species (croakers and drums) are known for specializations in their sensory apparatus, such as otoliths and lateral line. Within this family, some Stelliferinae members remain taxonomically unresolved due to their cryptic aspects and low phenotypic disparities. Stellifer punctatissimus comprises a species complex putatively formed by three species on morphological grounds, but molecular data have indicated only two evolutionary lineages. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that this complex is composed of Stellifer gomezi (GM), S. menezesi (MN), and S. punctatissimus (PC), using the otolith shape and morphology to differentiate them. Seventy-seven sagittal otoliths (GM = 30, MN = 30, PC = 17) were photographed to outline the otolith contour by Elliptical Fourier descriptors. Ten otoliths for each group were used to detect shape variation in the sulcus acusticus through semilandmarks. Differences in otolith shape contour were recorded among the species by PERMANOVA (Pseudo-F = 4.02, df = 2, p < 0.001) and corroborated by the Linear Discriminant Analysis, which demonstrated three partially segregated groups with satisfactory re-classification rates. A larger sulcus acusticus (GM and MN), rounded projection (PC), and distinct rectangularity pattern were also recorded. Our results support the morphological hypothesis and thus contribute to narrowing the taxonomic gaps in Sciaenidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The coast of Bahia state is the longest along the Brazilian coastline, and there are significant knowledge gaps concerning its estuarine fish fauna. Thus, there is a need to provide extensive coverage of the estuarine ichthyofauna of Bahia to provide an updated checklist of its fishes, which could function as a database for the management of such biodiversity. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize three different important estuarine systems (Camamu, Todos os Santos Bay, and Caravelas) in Bahia to contribute information on the ichthyofauna in shallow areas of the state. We recorded 29 orders, 54 families, 101 genera, and 147 species of fish. The families with the highest number of species were Sciaenidae and Carangidae, with twelve and nine species, respectively, followed by Gobiidae and Engraulidae, each with eight species. In terms of abundance in the northern region, the orders Atheriniformes (28.80%), Pleuronectiformes (15.92%), Clupeiformes (14.20%), and Gerreiformes (13.91%) predominated. In the Central region, Gerreiformes (21.55%), Tetraodontiformes (17.94%), Gobiiformes (12.83%), and Clupeiformes (8.94%) were the most representative. In the southern region, the orders Clupeiformes (57.48%), Mugiliformes (14.09%), Atheriniformes (4.10%), Lutjaniformes (3.97%), Gerreiformes (3.60%), and Carangiformes (2.23%) predominated. The region was characterized by a high representation of guilds of marine migrant species, followed by marine, estuarine, and freshwater visitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]