Fish biology, ecology, and behavior

Neotropical freshwater fish research examines the origins, distribution, and ecological roles of one of the planet's most species-rich vertebrate groups, with the Amazon River system alone harboring thousands of described species and likely thousands more awaiting formal classification. Researchers trace how geological history shaped current biodiversity patterns across freshwater ecoregions, while also documenting how modern pressures — particularly hydropower dam construction and habitat degradation — are disrupting fish assemblages that evolved over millions of years. A central open question is how migratory and electroreceptive species can persist in river systems increasingly fragmented by infrastructure, and whether fisheries that local communities depend on can remain viable as hydrological regimes are altered. Short-lived Neotropical fish have also become unexpected models in aging research, offering a fast-cycling biological system for studying senescence that extends the field's relevance well beyond conservation ecology.

Works

125,771

Total citations

586,032

Keywords

Freshwater EcoregionsFish BiodiversityAmazon River SystemHydropower DamsNeotropical Fish AssemblagesAging Research