Assembleias de ciclídeos na área focal da Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, médio Rio Solimões, Amazonas, Brasil

Abstract

This study aims to know the fish diversity of the family Cichlidae in different habitats (lakes, ressacas and river banks) and habitats (floating macrophytes, branches and beaches) on Sustainable Development Reserve Mamiraua (RDSM), medium Solimoes River, Amazonas. Samples were collected in two periods: 1) Three months sampled in March, July and December 2003 in 21 environments; 2) from September 2003 to August 2004 in five lakes with presence of the floating meadows Eichornia crassipes and Paspalum repens. Were used gillnets, hand nets and seine nets. Were collected 6397 fishes and 350 kilograms, represented in 28 species and 16 genera. Cichlids represented approximately 35% of the total number of fish collected. The composition of the catch was dominated by juvenile forms or small fishes. Mesonauta insignis and Cichlassoma amazonarum dominate in abundance and weight along the study. Species richness was larger in the period I (28 species), while during the period II were recorded 19 species. Nine species were absent in lakes with floating meadows. The study showed that the cichlids moving between environments and habitats of the Reserve in search of better conditions for their survival.