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Diversity
Special Issues
Systematics and Conservation Concerns of Fishes in Continental Waters
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Systematics and Conservation Concerns of Fishes in Continental Waters

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Freshwater Biodiversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2026) | Viewed by 1448

Editor

Prof. Dr. Luisa Sarmento-Soares

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Animal), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES), Campus Goiabeiras. Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras, Vitória 29075-910, ES, Brazil
Interests: freshwater fishes; river restoration; conservation; biogeography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Freshwater ecosystems harbor an extraordinary diversity of fish species that play crucial roles in maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity. However, much remains to be understood regarding the conservation of aquatic fauna—from headwaters to river mouths—the delimitation of areas of endemism, and the scientific knowledge of our rivers. Addressing these challenges requires not only advances in biodiversity research but also collective restoration actions that can help restore life in freshwater habitats.

Among vertebrates, freshwater fishes are among the most endangered groups, particularly threatened by human activities and environmental changes. Estuaries, with their complex ecological dynamics and the interplay of freshwater and estuarine fishes, also remain understudied and neglected.

This Special Issue invites contributions that enhance our understanding of evolutionary histories, population dynamics, and environmental challenges facing freshwater and estuarine fishes. Generating such knowledge is essential for developing effective conservation strategies and mitigating the impacts of human activities on aquatic habitats. In the context of the current climate emergency, the scale of the challenge to freshwaters resilience demands transformation through both knowledge and action.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for sharing the latest research in these areas. We welcome contributions from across disciplines, including evolutionary biology, systematics, ecology, biogeography, and conservation biology. Short communications, research articles, and reviews are all welcome.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Luisa Sarmento-Soares
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • freshwater ecosystems
  • biodiversity conservation
  • biogeography and phylogeography
  • climate change resilience
  • estuarine dynamics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 3532 KB  
Article
Patterns of Diversity and Endemism of Killifishes (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae) in the Southeastern and Eastern Coastal Basins of the Atlantic Forest, Brazil
by Luisa M. Sarmento-Soares, Felipe Vieira-Guimarães and Ronaldo F. Martins-Pinheiro
Diversity 2026, 18(6), 317; https://doi.org/10.3390/d18060317 - 27 May 2026
Viewed by 1069
Abstract
Rivulid killifishes are among the most threatened components of freshwater biodiversity in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, yet their biogeographic patterns remain poorly documented. This study provides the first comprehensive biogeographic assessment for rivulids across the Southeastern and Eastern Atlantic basins of Brazil. We [...] Read more.
Rivulid killifishes are among the most threatened components of freshwater biodiversity in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, yet their biogeographic patterns remain poorly documented. This study provides the first comprehensive biogeographic assessment for rivulids across the Southeastern and Eastern Atlantic basins of Brazil. We compiled distribution records for 54 species, analyzing patterns of endemism, similarity between hydrographic regions, and sampling coverage. Our results reveal patterns of hyper-endemism, with 31 species (57.4%) restricted to single basins and a highly aggregated distribution. Faunal similarity between regions was negligible, indicating strong historical isolation, with only 3.7% of species shared between the Eastern and Southeastern Atlantic basins. Seventeen bioregions were delimited across the study area, with minimal faunal overlap. We identified that 50.0% of basins lack any rivulid records, despite the region having been extensively sampled for more than 150 years (including since the Thayer Expedition of 1865–1866). This study area contains the highest concentration of research institutions in Brazil, suggesting that the absence of records reflects genuine absence rather than a sampling artefact. Based on endemism values, we highlight 16 priority basins for urgent conservation management. These findings reveal that small coastal basins harbor a disproportionately high, imperiled, yet overlooked diversity. We argue that effective conservation of this unique evolutionary heritage requires targeted research in unsampled areas, basin-scale management, and expanded protected area mosaics to incorporate these high-endemism micro-basins. Our results provide the biogeographic foundation for evidence-based strategies to prevent the extinction of these fishes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics and Conservation Concerns of Fishes in Continental Waters)
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