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28 June 2022

A First Guide to Freshwater and Diadromous Fish in Portugal †

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1
cE3c—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
2
National Museum of Natural History and Science, University of Lisbon, 1250-102 Lisbon, Portugal
3
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
4
Animal Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal

Abstract

Fresh waters are among the most imperiled ecosystems in the world. Not surprisingly, freshwater and diadromous fishes, which show remarkably high levels of endemism, are declining dramatically worldwide. In Portugal, more than 60% of the native fishes are already threatened and risk further population declines due to the intensification of multiple threats such as habitat loss and degradation, non-native species, and climate change. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive information about this vertebrate group in Portugal, and also in Spain. A Guide to Freshwater and Migratory Fishes in Portugal is the first book with dedicated information about the 62 fishes listed for freshwater ecosystems in the region, including data on their morphological characteristics, distribution, ecology, conservation, and economic value, and original scientific drawings by Claudia Baeta and Pedro Salgado. The guide is directed to the general public, scholars and fishermen, constitutes a groundbreaking mark for the Portuguese and Iberian ichthyology, and hopes to attract more research and public engagement to the conservation of the freshwater ecosystems.

Author Contributions

All authors contributed for conceptualization, resources, data curation, writing, review and editing, and fundraising. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This study was supported by Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) throught the grants UID/BIA/00329/2013 and UID/BIA/00329/2019 (to Ce3C) and UIDB/04292/2020 (to MARE), and sponsored by BES–Biodiversity prize, FCiências. ID through the Fish Identification Course, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, University of Évora, BIOTA–Biodiversity and Water Consultancy, and by the Lisbon Municipality–Lisbon the European Green Capital 2020.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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