Document Type

Article

Abstract

A survey of fishes in and around Shipstern Nature Reserve in Northern Belize, Central America, was carried out over a period of eight months, from February to September 1990. Its purpose was to establish a preliminary list of the fishes of Shipstern Nature Reserve, including descriptions, distribution and collecting data and additionally to describe some of the habitats in which the fishes were found. This study focuses on fishes considered to be freshwater species. These occurred for the greater part in brackish habitats. Nevertheless, a few fish considered as marine species were caught in the waters of the reserve and these equally received attention. Findings include 15 species of fresh or brackish water and 3 marine species. Two species are of particular interest: Cyprinodon variegatus (Cyprinodontidae) is a new species for the Belizean fauna, while Rivulus ocellatus (Rivulidae), which was recorded from Twin Cays on the barrier reef (Davis et al., 1990), is now also confirmed for a mainland coastal habitats.

Disciplines

Biodiversity | Bioinformatics | Marine Biology | Molecular Genetics | Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology

Comments

“Freshwater Fishes of Shipstern Nature Reserve” by Caspar F. A. Bijleveld, 1990, © C.F.A. Bijleveld, is an important historical record of the fish biodiversity found in the Shipstern Peninsula, Corozal district, Belize, Central America, based on Caspar Bijleveld's studies.

It is deposited here with the author's permission to support a recent update of the zoological record of the freshwater fishes of the Shipstern Peninsula in a manuscript entitled: “Diversity and parasitic load of freshwater fish of the Shipstern Peninsula, Sarteneja, Corozal District, Belize, Central America from recent collections and historical archives” by Adrian A. Vasquez and Jeffrey L. Ram, Wayne State University Department of Physiology, and Jorge Trejo-Martinez, Science Department, Corozal Junior College, San Andres Road, P. O. Box 63, Corozal, Belize, Central America.

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