Abstract

APAZA, José et al. Desert fishes of the Lower Pisco River, Pacific coast, Ica - Perú. Rev. acad. colomb. cienc. exact. fis. nat. [online]. 2024, vol.48, n.187, pp.368-382.  Epub July 29, 2025. ISSN 0370-3908.  https://doi.org/10.18257/raccefyn.2563.

Our study focuses on the fish fauna in the lower Pisco River in Ica, central coast of Perú. We examined the specimens deposited in the MUSM Ichthyological Collection including field evaluations in the main channel of the Pisco River, the Pisco Playa Wetland, the Morón Lagoon, and the Poza Lagunillas, as well as records from the available literature. We recorded 13 fish species belonging to eight families and eight orders, with Cichlidae as the most diverse family, with four species. Lebiasina bimaculata represents a new record for the ichthyofauna of the Pisco River. Species richness varied according to the evaluated environment, with Pisco Playa Wetland and the Pisco River as the environments with the highest diversity, hosting nine and eight species, respectively. Regarding the species composition, Andinoacara stalsbergi, Poecilia reticulata, and Oreochromis sp. were present in the four aquatic environments evaluated and could be considered core species, while Basilichthys semotilus was recorded exclusively in the Pisco River. In terms of salinity tolerance, one primary, 11 secondary, and one peripheral species were identified. As for their origin, exotic species represented 53.8% of the total richness, with Oreochromis sp. and P. reticulata present in all the environments evaluated. Our study updates the knowledge of the ichthyologic richness in the lower Pisco River. It provides a valuable tool for managing, divulging, and conserving the aquatic biota from this region.

Keywords : Coastal basin; coastal wetlands; continental fish fauna; Peruvian coast; South American fish.

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