Apteronotidae, Jordan, 1923

Júnior, Horácio Ferreira Júlio, Tós, Claudenice Dei, Agostinho, Ângelo Antonio & Pavanelli, Carla Simone, 2009, A massive invasion of fish species after eliminating a natural barrier in the upper rio Paraná basin, Neotropical Ichthyology 7 (4), pp. 709-718 : 714

Apteronotidae

Apteronotus ellisi was the only apteronotid in the upper rio Paraná basin before the Itaipu Reservoir ( Britski, 1972). It has been misidentified and has received different names, such as A. brasiliensis , Sternarchus brasiliensis and Porotergus ellisi ( Albert, 2003) . At present, A. caudimaculosus , associated with aquatic macrophytes (mainly Eichornia and Pistia ), has also been caught in the upper rio Paraná. It was not described from this ecoregion or recorded there before Itaipu. Currently it is widespread in the upper stretch, suggesting that it might have invaded after the impoundment. Graça & Pavanelli (2007), based on the widespread occurrence of that species, even suggested that A. caudimaculosus was probably native to this ecoregion. Nevertheless, it was not found in the region of the Itaipu Reservoir sampled just before the closure of the dam ( CETESB, 1981). This can be attributed to the use of inadequate fishing gear for capturing such species. Further studies must be carried out for conclusive statements.