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The Neotropical region hosts 4225 freshwater fish species, ranking first among the world's most diverse regions for freshwater fishes. Our NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set is the first to produce a large-scale Neotropical freshwater fish inventory, covering the entire Neotropical region from Mexico and the Caribbean in the north to the southern limits in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. We compiled 185,787 distribution records, with unique georeferenced coordinates, for the 4225 species, represented by occurrence and abundance data. The number of species for the most numerous orders are as follows: Characiformes (1289), Siluriformes (1384), Cichliformes (354), Cyprinodontiformes (245), and Gymnotiformes (135). The most recorded species was the characid Astyanax fasciatus (4696 records). We registered 116,802 distribution records for native species, compared to 1802 distribution records for nonnative species. The main aim of the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set was to make these occurrence and abundance data accessible for international researchers to develop ecological and macroecological studies, from local to regional scales, with focal fish species, families, or orders. We anticipate that the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set will be valuable for studies on a wide range of ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, fishery pressure, the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, and the impacts of species invasion and climate change. There are no copyright restrictions on the data, and please cite this data paper when using the data in publications.

The use of chemical substances for the management of fish farming activities may compromise the quality of the tank water itself and of water bodies that receive the effluents. As studies that assess the environmental effect caused by pisciculture are scarce, the present study aimed at evaluating the water quality in two fish farms in the region of Grande Dourados, Brazil, from the site of water collection to the site of water disposal. The tools used for this purpose were the analysis of land use and cover and the determination of physical, chemical, and biological parameters of water samples. Maps of land use and cover were created, and water samples were collected at four sampling sites in two fish farms. The Allium cepa test, assays with Astyanax lacustris, and the Salmonella/microsome assay were performed. In addition, physical and chemical parameters were measured and metal and emerging contaminants in the water samples were investigated. The A. lacustris demonstrated the genotoxicity and the Salmonella/microsome assay suggested the mutagenic potential of water samples from the fish farms and indicated higher genotoxicity in the disposal tanks than in the collection tanks of the Brilhante fish farm. However, all the samples at the Dourados fish farm were genotoxic, and mutagenicity was shown to start at the water collection site. With regard to the A. cepa test, there was no statistical difference between the collection sites in both fish farms. Moreover, the observed genetic damage may be associated with the presence of metals and emerging contaminants in the water samples, which suggests that these chemicals have potential genotoxic and mutagenic effects that are related to the type of land use and cover in the area of the region studied. Considering that contaminated waters can potentially disturb the structure and functioning of natural ecosystems, the present study demonstrated the importance of treating fish farm effluent to minimize the negative effect of this activity on water bodies.

The aim of this study was to (i) evaluate water quality using limnological parameters in three streams belonging to the Ivinhema River basin, (ii) investigate the composition and structure of the landscape around the locations sampled and their possible contribution to changes in water quality, (iii) investigate genotoxicity in fish in situ as environmental bioindicators, and (iv) evaluate the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of water through bioassays in animal and plant models. A total of seven fish species were sampled in situ as bioindicators of environmental toxicogenetic damage: Astyanax fasciatus, Astyanax lacustris, Cyphocharax modestus, Moenkhausia forestii, Piabina argentea, Psellogrammus kennedyi, and Hypostomus ancistroides. Four types of nuclear and one cytoplasmic alteration were observed, with nuclear invagination being the most frequent. Animal bioassays showed five types of nuclear and one cytoplasmic alteration. In the plant bioassay, a reduction in germination and cell division was observed, indicating the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of the water for Allium cepa cells. Thus, genotoxic alterations in fish and plant bioassays may reflect the different types of land use and cover around streams and the conversion of forest fragments into agricultural areas, mainly due to the expansion of sugarcane crops. The evaluation of the toxicogenetic status of the three streams is essential to emphasize the need to create projects to recover the native vegetation cover, which would improve the quality of the habitat and ensure the permanence of native species.

The Araguari River is one of the most important water body in the Brazilian state of Amapá. However, the quality of its waters has been deteriorating and, recently, high concentrations of metals were found in water samples collected from its lower section. Overall, we aimed to evaluate land use and cover around three sampling sites located in the Araguari River lower section and its contribution to water pollution by metals; correlate land use pattern with detected metal concentrations; assess acute toxicity using the Daphnia similis test and genotoxicity using the Danio rerio bioassay of water samples from the three sampling sites; and investigate the risks arising from metals present in waters to aquatic biota. Riparian forest around all sampling sites is fragmented owing to the expansion of pasture areas, which showed a significant positive correlation (p 0.05) with the concentrations of Hg and Cu in water samples. Water samples from sampling sites 2 and 3 presented acute toxicity for D. similis, and the D. rerio bioassay confirmed the presence of genotoxic pollutants in the waters from all sampling sites. Our preliminary risk assessment showed that individual concentrations and the mixture of metals posed a high risk to aquatic biota. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the conversion of native forest to pastureland contributes to water contamination by metals, which contributes to the risks to aquatic biota.

This study aimed to evaluate water quality using limnological parameters in two sub-basins of the Negro and Apa Rivers, along with the composition and structure of the landscape around the locations sampled in the two sub-basins and their possible contribution to the loss of water quality. We also set out to identify the genotoxic effects on the erythrocytes of Prochilodus lineatus and Leporinus friderici. In particular, we quantified total Cr, Ni and Pb in the muscle of these fish species to determine which genotoxic changes are related to the concentration of metals detected in the fish from these two sub-basins of the Paraguay River Basin. The sub-basin of the Apa River presented a greater proportion of surrounding pastureland in relation to the basin of the Negro River. The erythrocytes of P. lineatus showed a significant difference between the sub-basins for nuclear pyknosis, binucleated cells and lobed nuclei (p0.05). In L. friderici, vacuolated nuclei, nuclear pyknosis and lobed nuclei alterations also showed a significant difference between the sub-basins (p 0.05). The genotoxicity index of the Apa River sub-basin presented higher frequencies of nuclear alterations in P. lineatus and L. friderici (p 0.05), compared to the Negro River sub-basin. The concentration of total Cr, Ni and Pb in the muscles of P. lineatus and L. friderici in the Negro River sub-basin leads to genotoxic damage, mainly from the induction of lobed nuclei. Based on our results, it can be concluded that toxicogenetic effects in native fish species are an important source of environmental diagnosis in the Upper Paraguay River Basin.

Groundwaters are normally consumed without previous treatment and therefore the monitoring of contaminants in order to guarantee its safety is necessary. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the groundwater contamination by metals and emerging contaminants, seeking to understand the relationship between their presence in the groundwater and the use and land cover profile of Itapora and Caarapo. In addition, the contaminant concentrations observed were compared with maximum permitted values (MPV) and/or with calculated water quality criteria (WQC) for human consumption to investigate possible human health risks due to the groundwater intake. We collected one groundwater sample from each of the 12 wells located in Itapora and 11 wells located in Caarapo. The metals were analyzed using ICP-OES and the emerging contaminants using LC-MS/MS. At least 1 of the 9 metals analyzed was found in each of the samples. In 12 samples, the metal concentrations verified exceeded the MPV or calculated WQC. A risk to human health has been observed for metals Co, Mn, Cr, and Ni. The emerging contaminant concentrations found in some samples were low (ng/L) and probably did not pose health risks, but their presence in the groundwater showed the impact of agriculture and the inadequate disposal of domestic sewage in the wells of both cities.

Se ha asumido que la zona impactada por las nubes y las neblinas en el cerro Uyuca está a partir de los 1,700 msnm y cubre un área de 237.1 ha. De éstas, el bosque latifoliado maduro multiestratificado cubre 52 ha mientras que las otras 185 ha están cubiertas por el bosque secundario conformado por rodales puros y mixtos de Pinus maximinoi y bosque latifoliado. Ante la importancia de los bosques nublados o nubosos como recolectores de agua se cuantificó la precipitación horizontal u oculta a nivel de la masa latifoliada madura durante cinco años (1987-1992). Para ello se distribuyó una red de 12 pluviómetros tipo embudo, de 52 cm de diámetro, a varias altitudes dentro del bosque. Como control se colocaron tres pluviómetros en un área abierta de 2.7 ha adyacente al bosque maduro. Se hicieron registros diarios de la precipitación, la nubosidad y la visibilidad, la dirección y la velocidad del viento a lo largo de los cinco años del estudio. La precipitación media mensual varió entre los 62.3 mm y los 276.3 mm. El promedio aritmético de la precipitación total anual dentro del bosque fue de 2,021.6 mm. No obstante, este promedio fue de 2,360 mm estimado mediante el método de los polígonos de Thiessen. A campo abierto se registró un promedio total anual de 978 mm. Consecuentemente, la precipitación horizontal fue de 1,382.2 mm, un aporte del bosque de 141.3% a la precipitación normal. Se determinó que la zona de vida del bosque muy húmedo montano bajo subtropical en el cerro Uyuca comienza a partir de los 1,600 msnm. Como resultado, el área de bosque nuboso en el cerro Uyuca es de 556 ha. Este sector adicional (322 ha), en la actualidad, no es parte del núcleo de la Reserva Biológica del Cerro Uyuca. Consecuentemente, este sector adicional o al menos sus partes más factibles deben ser estrictamente preservadas para proteger un área de bosque nublado de gran relevancia. Esto es fundamental sobre todo si se tiene en cuenta que debido a su delicada dependencia del clima local, los bosques nubosos serán fuertemente afectados por el cambio climático global. La inclusión en la zonificación de la reserva de una Subzona de Adaptación al Cambio Climático es un primer paso excelente para trabajar en contrarrestar los impactos del cambio climático y el efecto compuesto de este con otros factores de amenaza a la biodiversidad.

This study assessed the quality of vegetation cover in the Parque Estadual das Varzeas do Rio Ivinhema (PEVRI, Upper Parana River basin, MS, Brazil), the concentration of metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Fe, Zn and Ni) in water and muscle and hepatic tissues of five fish species collected in the PEVRI – Hemiodus orthonops, Leporinus friderici, Prochilodus lineatus, Pterodoras granulosus and Pimelodus maculatus – in addition to non-carcinogenic risk assessment and genotoxicity potential in these species. Regarding vegetation index, we found that only 26.25% of the PEVRI area is occupied by denser vegetation. In the sites analyzed, Cd, Cu, Fe and Ni showed high concentrations in water, above the reference values established by the legislation. In the muscle and hepatic tissues of the fish species analyzed, Cd and Pb values exceeded the reference limits. The genotoxic alterations identified in erythrocytes of the fish species studied were nuclear invagination, nuclear budding, picnosis, binucleated cell and lobulate nucleus. For the non-carcinogenic risk assessment in fish, Cd and Pb presented values greater than 1, indicating risk in the consumption of these fish. In the bioaccumulation factor, Cd and Pb were greater than 100 in all fish species analyzed, except for Pb in L. friderici. The results indicated that the water resources of the PEVRI are being affected by some type of contaminant, probably due to anthropic activities carried out around the park or carried from the upper portions of the basin through the drainage system.

O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar parâmetros físico-químicos quantitativos da água proveniente de córregos na microbacia Tarumã (MS, Brasil), quantificar metais (Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Fe, Zn e Ni) nos sedimentos de fundo desses córregos e avaliar quali-quantitativamente o índice de vegetação de diferença normalizado dos locais (NDVI) por meio de imagens de satélite. Os valores de turbidez e condutividade elétrica da água estavam mais altos nos pontos mais próximos da região urbana. Na análise do NDVI, os pontos P1, P2 e P4 apresentaram a vegetação ciliar local reduzida, classificada em baixo ou muito baixo. Nos locais P3, P5 e P6 constatamos maiores proporções de vegetação em níveis moderado e baixo. Em relação aos metais nos sedimentos, todos os pontos amostrados apresentaram concentrações de metais abaixo dos limites estabelecidos pela legislação vigente. O baixo índice de cobertura vegetal em torno dos córregos na Microbacia Tarumã, principalmente nos locais de nascentes, pode comprometer o equilíbrio desse sistema.

Campomanesia adamantium is an endemic plant of Cerrado biome that has potential for cultivation because its fruits have culinary and medicinal uses. However, genetic diversity studies using molecular markers with Cerrado species are scarce, and the inadequate extractive exploitation of fruits and the expansion of agricultural frontiers may also affect genetic variability. Therefore, studies in this field are of interest as they can provide sources for conservation and breeding programs. In this context, we investigated the genetic diversity of native populations of C. adamantium from different sites and the relationship between genetic variability and the land use and land cover of each site. A total of 207 plants were sampled in seven sites and characterized with seven polymorphic microsatellite markers. The use and coverage of land were mapped based on aerial images, and the land was classified into different categories. The genetic diversity was high in all populations, with low levels of differentiation due to allele sharing, mainly in Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraguay populations. The geographically closest populations were more genetically similar. The use and coverage of land indicated that intense agriculture promotes a significant decrease in genetic variability.

The objective of this study was to evaluate toxicogenetic potential of surface water samples from rivers of center-west Brazil and analyze the influence of land use and cover and physicochemical parameters in genetic damage. Samples were collected during winter (June) and summer (November) at sampling sites from Dourados and Brilhante Rivers (Mato Grosso do Sul/Brazil). The toxicogenetic variables, including chromosomal alterations, micronuclei, and mitotic index, were analyzed in meristematic cells of Allium cepa; and micronuclei, nuclear abnormalities, and DNA strand breaks (arbitrary units, AUT) were analyzed in erythrocytes of Astyanax lacustris. The rivers presented physicochemical values outside the Brazilian laws, which can be a characteristic of human pollution (domestic sewage and local agriculture). The results of A. cepa test suggest that the water samples from Dourados and Brilhante rivers exerted significant (p

Emerging contaminants (ECs) are synthetic or naturally occurring chemicals that are not commonly monitored despite having the potential of entering the environment and causing adverse ecological and/or human health effects. This study aimed to determine whether ECs are present in the surface waters of two rivers in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, and evaluate the effects of ECs mixtures at environmentally relevant concentrations on zebrafish (Danio rerio) gene expression. ECs concentrations were determined using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The ECs most frequently detected were caffeine, imidacloprid, 2-hydroxy atrazine, tebuthiuron, atrazine, and bisphenol A. We used these data to reconstruct ECs mixtures reflecting environmental concentrations, codenamed T1, T2, and T3. No effects were observed, so the concentrations were increased. After a preliminary evaluation of the No Observed Effect Concentration for each mixture, we analyzed changes in the expression of zebrafish target genes (cyp1a, hsp70, cat, sod1, tsh, cyp19a1a, cyp19a1b, cyp26b1, casp8, sox2, cyb561d2, and thrb). cat was overrepresented in T1 and underrepresented in the other treatments. All of the mixtures induced the expression of cyp19a1b, which is a marker for (xeno-)estrogen exposure, and two of them increased the expression of cyp1a, which is used to indicate the presence of dioxin-like compounds. The rivers studied had low EC concentrations, and there was no indication of any harmful effects on the zebrafish. However, intensive agricultural activity may result in unsuspected peaks of EC pollution, and subsequent negative effects on living organisms.

The objective of this research was to evaluate land use and occupation in the landscape surrounding two neotropical streams of the Upper Parana River in Brazil and to investigate if the water from these streams induces erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities in Astyanax lacustris. We observed that the areas surrounding the streams are predominantly used for agricultural purposes (73.46% of the total area), followed by buildings (15.21%). Only 8.78% of the area consisted of forest fragments. We observed higher frequencies of micronuclei in erythrocytes of A. lacustris exposed to water from impacted sites (IMP) compared with less impacted sites and the negative control (NC) (p

In the present study, we evaluated the effects of biological factors, lifestyle factors, and environmental conditions on the induction of DNA damage in exfoliated cells of the oral mucosa. Age, sex, medication use, and environmental conditions were analyzed in individuals residing in the cities of Caarapo and Itapora. The individuals were assessed by a questionnaire, and oral mucosa cells were collected and subjected to mutagenicity analysis. We observed no statistical differences in DNA damage related to sex. However, the mutagenic effect was found to be proportional to age, with higher frequencies of DNA damage observed in individuals between the ages of 46 and 65 years. In addition, higher frequencies of DNA damage were found in individuals who continuously used medication and for prolonged periods, and greater DNA damage was observed in individuals who used antihypertensive drugs than those who took antidepressants. In terms of environmental conditions, Caarapo residents had a significantly higher frequency of DNA damage than that of residents from Itapora. Based on the analysis of land use and occupation, this result can be attributed to the smaller fraction of forest fragments and the higher proportion of buildings in Caarapo than Itapora. We concluded that age, continued medication use, and environmental conditions can lead to greater DNA damage.