Fish diversity in the Reserve de la Biosphere Pantanos Centla

The systematic list of fish collected during 2014 and 2015 in the Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve registered a 25% increase in the previous diversity records, mainly due to the presence of diadromous fish. The checklist included 75 species, accounting for 37% of the ichthyofauna in the Grijalva-Usumacinta basin. Among the five invasive non-native species, the armored catfish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) registered the maximum frequency of capture. Moreover, 48 migratory species were identified (38 diadromous and 10 potamodromous). The dominance of diadromous fish and their presence in both lagoons and rivers indicated the conservation of the hydraulic interconnection between rivers and lagoons. In the sampling, the absence of seven freshwater species, that were common in previous publications was observed. The above may be due to the decrease in habitats as a consequence of human activities and the introduction of invasive species. This study highlights the need for further studies focused on the fish biology, mainly to clarify the potamodromous condition and understand the lateral migration that some species present during their ontogeny.