Ictiofauna de la Reserva de la Biosfera Celestún, Yucatán: una contribución al conocimiento de su biodiversidad

Abstract

A TOTAL OF 157 FISH SPECIES REPRESENTING 17 ORDERS IN 55 TELEOSTS FAMILIES AND ONE ORDER INCLUDING SIX ELASMOBRANCH FAMILIES, HAVE BEEN RECORDED IN CELESTUN BIOSPHERE RESERVE, AS A RESULT OF SEVERAL FIELDS ANNUAL CAMPAIGNS (1984, 1985, 1991 TO 1994, 1998, 2000-2001) CONDUCTED IN DIFFERENT HABITATS (CONTINENTAL SHELF, COASTAL ZONE, SEAGRASSES AND MANGROVES). SCIAENIDAE WAS THE MOST REPRESENTATIVE FAMILY WITH THE HIGHEST SPECIES NUMBER (14), FOLLOWED BY SPARIDAE (9) AND CARANGIDAE (8). FOUR ICTHYOLOGICAL CATEGORIES WERE DETERMINED WITHIN THE RESERVE: EURYHALINE MARINE (49%), STENOHALINE MARINE (40%), RESIDENT (8%) AND FRESHWATER (3%). WITHIN THE EURYHALINE COMPONENT, 34 SPECIES CONSIDERING THEIR WIDE DISTRIBUTION (COASTAL ZONE-LAGOON), ECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (MANGROVE-SEAGRASS) AND OCCURRENCE (>50%), WERE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RESERVE. WITHIN THESE SPECIES, ARCHOSARGUS RHOMBOIDALIS, LAGODON RHOMBOIDES, ANCHOA MITCHILLI, A. HEPSETUS, EUCINOSTOMUS ARGENTEUS, E. GULA AND LUTJANUS GRISEUS ARE ABUNDANT. GAMBUSIA YUCATANA YUCATANA WAS CONSIDERED ENDEMIC AND POECILIA VELIFERA IN THE SPECIAL PROTECTION CATEGORY. THE PRESENT INFORMATION IS OF IMPORTANCE FOR THE KNOWLEDGE OF MEXICAN BIODIVERSITY AND TO ESTABLISH GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES OF THIS BISPHERE RESERVE.