The Freshwater Fishes of
Western Ecuador

THE FAUNA.-

Click Here for a species List for the Guayas River (by Enrique Laaz and Antonio Torres)

Composition: The order Characiformes is the most diverse group of fishes in western Ecuador and the most diverse family within the order is the Characidae (tetras). The order is also quite diverse ecologically and members range from small "minnow" type fish, to herbivores and detritivores, to large fish predators like Hoplias, the tahira or guanchiche. The order Siluriformes if the second most diverse group and the family Loricariidae (suckermouth catfishes) is the most diverse family within that order. Other important freshwater groups include the Cichlidae with the genera Aequidens, Cichlasoma, and the non-native African tilapia, the order Gymnotiformes (electric fishes), the eleotridae (sleepers), the order Atheriniformes, and the order Synbranchiformes.

Fishes that are primarily marine or estuarine and occassionally enter freshwater are quite diverse and includes sciaenids, centropomids, gobiids, pleuronectiformes, gerreids, tetraodontids, clupeids, engraulids, etc. (Barriga, 1991). In all, there are approximately 50 species that come from families that are primarily marine or estuarine but occur frequently in freshwaters of western Ecuador. These species are not included in the list below. There are also a fair number of non-indigenous species, especially salmonids (at upper elevations) and tilapia, that are well established. Even a western Atlantic sciaenid, Sciaenops ocellatus (introduced for fish farming in the late 80's-90's) was reported several years ago (Bearez, pers. comm.) although its present status is unknown.

SPECIES LIST: The following species list is derived primarily from Barriga (1991) with modifications from other sources. Species names are followed by authors, superscript includes source for inclusion in list (see bottom of page for source references), and range in Ecuador. Suroccidental indicates southwestern Ecuador (Guayas and southern coastal drainages) and noroccidental indicates northwestern Ecuador (primarily drainages in Esmeraldas province).

Order Atheriniformes:

    Family Aplocheilidae:
  • Profundulus punctatus (Gunther, 1864)1 Suroccidental

    Family Poeciliidae:
  • Pseudopoecilia festae (Boulenger, 1898) 2 Suroccidental
  • Pseudopoecilia fria (Eigenmann and Henn, 1914)1 Occidental

Order Characiformes:

    Family Anostomidae:
  • Leporinus ecuadoriensis (Eigenmann and Henn, 1917)1 Suroccidental

    Family Characidae:
  • Astyanax festae (Boulenger, 1898) 2 Suroccidental
  • Astyanax ruberrimus Eigenmann, 19131 Noroccidental
  • Brycon acutus Bohlke, 19581 Noroccidental
  • Brycon alburnus Gunther, 18591 Noroccidental
  • Brycon atrocaudatus (Kner and Steindachner, 1863)1 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Brycon coxeyi Fowler, 19421 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Brycon dentex Gunter, 18601 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Brycon oligolepis Regan, 19131 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Bryconamericus brevirostris Gunther, 18591 Suroccidental
  • Bryconamericus peruanus (Muller and Troschel, 1845)1 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Bryconamericus scleroparius (Regan, 1913)1 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Bryconamericus simus (Boulenger, 1898)1 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Hemibrycon polyodon (Gunther, 1864)1 Occidental
  • Hyphessobrycon ecuadoriensis Eigenmann and Henn, 19141 Suroccidental
  • Hyphessobrycon sp. *1 Noroccidental
  • Iotabrycon praecox Roberts, 19731 Suroccidental
  • Landonia latidens Eigenmann and Henn, 19141 Suroccidental
  • Megalomphodus ecuadoriensis Eigenmann, 19151 Suroccidental
  • Phenacobrycon henni (Eigenmann, 1914)1 Suroccidental
  • Pseudochalceus boehlke Orcés, 1967 Noroccidental
  • Pseudochalceus lineatus Kner and Steindachner, 18631 Noroccidental
  • Rhoadsia altipinna Fowler, 19111 Noroccidental
  • Rhoadsia minor Eigenmann and Henn, 19141 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Roeboides hildebrandi Eigenmann, 19161 Noroccidental

    Family Curimatidae:
  • Pseudocurimata boehlkei Vari, 19881 Noroccidental
  • Pseudocurimata boulengeri (Eigenmann, 1889)1 Suroccidental
  • Pseudocurimata lineopunctata (Boulenger, 1911)1 Noroccidental
  • Pseudocurimata peruana Eigenmann, 19201 Suroccidental
  • Pseudocurimata troscheli (Gunther, 1859)1 Suroccidental

    Family Erythrinidae:
  • Hoplias malabaricus (Bloch, 1794)1 Oriental y Occidental
  • Hoplias microlepis (Gunther, 1864)1 Suroccidental

    Family Erythrinidae:
  • Gasteropelecus maculatus (Steindachner, 1879)1 Noroccidental

    Family Lebiasinidae:
  • Lebiasina bimaculata Cuvier and Valenciennes, 18461 Noroccidental
  • Piabucina astrigata Regan, 19031 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Piabucina aureoguttata Fowler, 19111 Suroccidental

    Family Parodontidae:
  • Parodon ecuadoriensis (Eigenmann and Henn, 1914)1 Suroccidental
  • Saccodon wagneri Kner and Steindachner, 18631 Suroccidental

    Family Parodontidae:
  • Ichthyoelephas humeralis (Gunther, 1859)1 Suroccidental

Order Gymnotiformes:

    Family Apteronotidae:
  • Apteronotus rostratus Meek and Hildebrand, 19131 Noroccidental
  • Apteronotus sp. *1 Occidental

    Family Apteronotidae:
  • Gymnotus sp. *1 Noroccidental

    Family Hypopomidae:
  • Brachyhypopomus occidentalis (Regan, 1914)4 Suroccidental
  • Hypopomus brevirostris (Steindachner, 1868)1 Noroccidental
  • Hypopomus sp. *1 Noroccidental

Order Perciformes:

    Family Cichlidae:
  • Aequidens coeruleopunctatus (Kner and Steindachner, 1863)1 Noroccidental
  • Aequidens rivulatus (Gunther, 1859)1 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Aequidens sapayensis (Regan, 1905)1 Noroccidental
  • Cichlasoma festae (Boulenger, 1899)1 Suroccidental
  • Cichlasoma ornatum (Regan, 1905)1 Noroccidental
  • Oreochromis sp. * 3 Suroccidental (non-native African tilapia)

    Family Eleotridae:
  • Dormitator latifrons (Richardson, 1844)1 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Dormitator maculatus (Bloch, 1790)1 Noroccidental
  • Eleotris picta Kner and Steindachner, 18631 Noroccidental
  • Gobiomorus maculatus (Gunther, 1859)1 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Hemieleotris latifasciatus (Meek and Hildebrand, 1916)1 Noroccidental

    Family Gobiidae:
  • Awaous trasandeanus (Gunther, 1861)1 Nor y Suroccidental

Order Mugiliformes:

    Family Mugilidae:
  • Agonostomus monticola (Baneroft, 1836)1 Noroccidental
  • Joturos daguae Eigenmann, 19171 Noroccidental

Order Pleuronectiformes:

    Family Soleidae:
  • Achirus kluzingeri (Steindachner, 1880)1 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Achirus mazatlanus Steindachner, 18691 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Achirus scutum (Gunther, 1862)1 Nor y Suroccidental

Order Siluriformes:

    Family Astroblepidae:
  • Astroblepus cf. retropinnis (Regan, 1907)1 Suroccidental
  • Astroblepus fissidens (Regan, 1904)1 Noroccidental
  • Astroblepus mindoense (Regan, 1916)1 Noroccidental
  • Astroblepus vaillanti (Regan, 1904)1 Suroccidental

    Family Cetopsidae:
  • Paracetopsis bleekeri Bleeker, 18622 Suroccidental (listed as Cetopsogiton occidentalis in older references including Glodek, 1978)
  • Pseudocetopsis othonops Eigenmann, 19121 Nor y Suroccidental

    Family Loricariidae:
  • Ancistrus clementinae Rendahl, 19371 Suroccidental
  • Ancistrus spinosus Meek and Hildebrand, 19161 Occidental
  • Chaetostoma aequinoctiale Pellegrin, 1909 4 Suroccidental
  • Chaetostoma marginatum Regan, 19041 Noroccidental
  • Cordylancistrus sp. *4 Suroccidental (New species collected in Santa Rosa River, El Oro province, by Aguirre et al. in July 2008)
  • Chaetostoma microps Gunther, 18641 Occidental
  • Crossoloricaria cf. variegata (Steindachner, 1879)1 Noroccidental
  • Hemiancistrus annectens (Regan, 1904)1 Noroccidental
  • Hemiancistrus fugleri Ovchynnyk, 19711 Noroccidental
  • Hemiancistrus hammorlundi Rendahl, 19371 Suroccidental
  • Hemiancistrus landoni Eigenmann, 19161 Suroccidental
  • Hypostomus watwatta Hancock, 18281 Noroccidental
  • Isorineloricaria spinosissima (Steindachner, 1880)1 Suroccidental
  • Rineloricaria jubata (Boulenger, 1902)1 Noroccidental
  • Sturisoma frenatum (Boulenger, 1902)1 Noroccidental
  • Sturisoma panamense (Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 1889)1 Noroccidental
  • Sturisoma rostratum (Spix, 1829)1 Noroccidental

    Family Pimelodidae:
  • Pimelodella modestus (Gunther, 1860)2 Occidental
  • Pseudopimelodus transmontanus Regan, 19131 Noroccidental
  • Rhamdia cinerascens (Gunther, 1860)1 Nor y Suroccidental
  • Rhamdia wagneri (Gunther, 1865)1 Nor y Suroccidental

    Family Pseudopimelodidae:
  • Microglanis variegatus Eigenmann and Henn, 19142 Occidental

    Family Trichomycteridae:
  • Eremophilus cf. mutisii (Eigenmann, 1918)1 Temperado y Sub Occ
  • Ituglanis laticeps (Kner, 1863)1 Occidental (listed as Trichomycterus laticeps, noroccidental in Barriga, 1991)
  • Trichomycterus banneaui Eigenmann, 19121 Noroccidental

Order Sygnathiformes-

    Family Sygnathidae:
  • Pseudophallus starski (Jordan and Cuvier, 1895)1 Nor y Suroccidental

Order Synbranchiformes-

    Family Synbranchidae:
  • Synbranchus marmoratus Synbranchus marmoratus Bloch, 17951 Nor y Suroccidental

***SOURCES:

  • 1 Barriga (1991)
  • 2 Glodek (1978)
  • 3 Laaz et al. (2009)
  • 4 Collected by Aguirre et al. in July 2008

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Last Updated August 26, 2010