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Diversity of Freshwater Fishes in Reserva de la Biosfera Barranca de Metztitlán,Hidalgo, Mexico, and Recommendations for ConservationAuthor(s): Rafael Miranda, David Galicia, Scott Monks, and Griselda Pulido-FloresSource: The Southwestern Naturalist, 57(3):285-291. 2012.Published By: Southwestern Association of NaturalistsDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909-57.3.285URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1894/0038-4909-57.3.285

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THE SOUTHWESTERN NATURALIST 57(3): 285–291 SEPTEMBER 2012

DIVERSITY OF FRESHWATER FISHES IN RESERVA DE LA BIOSFERABARRANCA DE METZTITLAN, HIDALGO, MEXICO, AND

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONSERVATION

RAFAEL MIRANDA,* DAVID GALICIA, SCOTT MONKS, AND GRISELDA PULIDO-FLORES

Department of Zoology and Ecology, University of Navarra, Irunlarrea 1, E-31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain (RM, DG)Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas, Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, Apartado Postal 1-69,

Pachuca, C.P. 42001, Hidalgo, Mexico (SM, GP-F)*Correspondent: rmiranda@unav.es

ABSTRACT—The primary objective was to document the diversity of fishes in Reserva de la Biosfera Barrancade Metztitlan, Hidalgo, Mexico. Samples were collected from 35 localities using electrofishing, nets, andangling, and from local fishermen. A total of 7,290 specimens was collected, representing 16 species(including 4 introduced and 4 translocated). This study adds seven species to the regional fish fauna, five ofwhich are exotic.

RESUMEN—El objetivo primario fue caracterizar la diversidad de peces en la Reserva de la Biosfera Barrancade Metztitlan, Hidalgo, Mexico. Se muestrearon peces en 35 localidades, capturados con pesca electrica, redes,pesca con anzuelo, y por pescadores locales. Se capturo un total de 7,290 especımenes, representando 16especies (incluyendo 4 especies introducidas y 4 translocadas). Este trabajo anade siete nuevas especies a laictiofauna regional, cinco de las cuales son exoticas.

Mexico is biologically significant because of its faunaand flora; especially for its diversity of freshwater fish. Ofthe 504 species known from the country, ca. 271 areendemic (ca. 48 endemics are from binational basins),168 are at some level of risk, and 25 are believed to beextinct (Contreras-Balderas et al., 2008; Jelks et al., 2008).The fish fauna of Mexico is highly varied, and itscomplexity and high rate of endemism are the result ofa complex orography, hydrography, and diverse climates(Contreras-Balderas et al., 2008).

Because the Reserva de la Biosfera Barranca deMetztitlan is situated on the transition between theNeotropic and Nearctic zoogeographic regions, it pos-sesses characteristics of both. The reserve is in northeast-ern Hidalgo, Mexico, in the area of transition fromNeotropical forest in the southeast to the Neartic centralplateau in the northwest (Monks et al., 2005). The studyregion is part of the Priorities Hydrologic Region ofMexico because the area is impacted by activities ofhumans and exhibits high levels of biodiversity (Arriaga etal., 2002). Although this area is important, its ichthyofau-na is largely unknown. Our study is the first tosystematically document species of fish that occur in thearea. Based on records in museums and review of theliterature, only a general survey of freshwater fish hasbeen conducted in Hidalgo (Soria-Barreto et al., 1996).That survey included two sites in Reserva de la Biosfera

Barranca de Metztitlan (Lago Metztitlan and Rıo VenadosBridge).

The objective of our study was to describe thecomposition and distribution of fishes in Reserva de laBiosfera Barranca de Metztitlan, with the aim ofoptimizing future conservation and management plans.These kinds of listings may provide guidelines forregional and local evaluations, and also are indicators ofenvironmental quality.

MATERIALS AND METHODS—The study was conducted onReserva de la Biosfera Barranca de Metztitlan (96,043 ha),Hidalgo, Mexico (208140–208450N, 988230–988570W). Its climateis dry and warm, with a total annual precipitation of 500–700mm and a mean annual temperature of 18–228C (Garcıa, 1973).The reserve is a steep-sided canyon with a high diversity of semi-arid ecosystems; submountainous and crassicaule scrublandscover vast areas (Puig, 1991). Two principal rivers flow into thereserve; the Rıo Venados or Metztitlan that flows into the canyonand the Rıo Amajac. A stretch of Rıo Metztitlan is in thenorthwestern corner of the reserve. While the Rıo Amajac flowsinto Rıo Moctezuma (Panuco Basin), Rıo Metztitlan flows intoan endorheic Lago Metztitlan that was dammed ca. 500–1,100years ago (Suter, 2004).

A total of 35 sites was sampled in Reserva de la BiosferaBarranca de Metztitlan (Fig. 1) during four 2-week samplingevents (February and November 2007, May and November2008). Sampling was conducted in Rıo Metztitlan and RıoAmajac using a backpack electrofishing unit (300–600 V, 0.2–2A; IG200, Hans Grassl GmbH, Schonau, Germany). Specimens

were collected at some sites with traditional casting nets and byangling in some deep stretches of the Rıo Metztitlan, and finally,some specimens were provided by fishermen working thedeeper waters of Lago Metztitlan.

Voucher specimens of each species were deposited in theMuseo de Zoologıa de la Universidad de Navarra (Pamplona,Spain; MZNA). Taxonomic keys and other information usefulfor identification were based on Hubbs (1924), Hubbs andTurner (1939), Miller (1974), Taylor and Miller (1983), andMiller et al. (2005). Classification follows W. N. Eschmeyer(http://research.calacademy.org/ichthyology/catalog/

fishcatmain.asp) and common names follow Nelson et al.(2004).

We conducted semiquantitative electrofishing surveys with aconstant unit of effort (30 min/survey), providing densities offishes by catch per unit of effort. With the aim of standardizingdata on abundance from electrofishing and other samplingtechniques, data were categorized using scores as follows: 6, veryabundant; 5, abundant; 4, frequent; 3, less frequent; 2, scarce;and 1, occasionally present.

RESULTS—A total of 7,290 specimens (16 species of 8families) was collected (Table 1). Eight species wereexotic: four were introduced for consumption by humans(common carp Cyprinus carpio, common bream Abramisbrama, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, and hybridtilapia Oreochromis aureus x O. niloticus), one wasaccidentally introduced as an ornamental fish (convictcichlid Amatitlania nigrofasciata), and three had beentranslocated to the reserve (mesa silverside Menidiajordani, porthole livebearer Poeciliopsis gracilis, and greenswordtail Xiphophorus hellerii). Regarding native species,eight were collected in the reserve (shortfin molly Poeciliamexicana, barred killifish Heterandria jonesii, Mexican tetraAstyanax mexicanus, lantern minnow Tampichthys ipni,mountain mullet Agonostomus monticola, Rıo Verdecatfish Ictalurus mexicanus, blackfin splitfin Goodeaatripinnis and Chairel cichlid Herichthys pantostictus).

Only one species, the Rıo Verde catfish, is underspecial protection according to the Secretarıa de MedioAmbiente y Recursos Naturales (2002). Internationally,the barred killifish and Rıo Verde catfish are consideredvulnerable by the International Union for Conservationof Nature and Natural Resources (S. Contreras-Balderasand P. Almada-Villela, www.iucnredlist.org). The RıoVerde catfish also is considered vulnerable by theAmerican Fisheries Society (Jelks et al., 2008).

Based on ecological affinities, four species are of

FIG. 1—Sites in the Barranca de Metztitlan BiosphereReserve, Hidalgo, Mexico, where fishes were sampled. Numbersof sampling sites correspond to those in Table 2.

TABLE 1—Species of fish in Reserva de la Biosfera Barranca de Metztitlan, Hidalgo, Mexico. Asterisks (*) indicate new records forthe state.

Family Species Ecological affinity Zoogeographic origin

Cyprinidae Cyprinus carpio IntroducedAbramis brama IntroducedTampichthys ipni Primary Neartic

Characidae Astyanax mexicanus Primary NeotropicalIctaluridae Ictalurus punctatus* Primary Translocated

Ictalurus mexicanus Primary NearticCichlidae Herichthys pantostictus* Secondary Neotropical

Amatitlania nigrofasciata* Secondary TranslocatedOreochromis aureus · O. niloticus Introduced

Atherinopsidae Menidia jordani Peripheral TranslocatedMugilidae Agonostomus monticola Peripheral AtlanticGoodeidae Goodea atripinnis* Secondary NeotropicalPoeciliidae Heterandria jonesii* Secondary Neotropical

Poecilia mexicana Secondary NeotropicalPoeciliopsis gracilis* Secondary TranslocatedXiphophorus hellerii* Secondary Translocated

286 vol. 57, no. 3The Southwestern Naturalist

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288 vol. 57, no. 3The Southwestern Naturalist

primary origin, seven secondary, and two are of periph-eral derivation (Miller, 1966). According to their zoogeo-graphical origin, two species originated in the westernAtlantic Ocean, three are of Nearctic origin, seven areNeotropical, and three were introduced from Africa andEurope (Table 1).

DISCUSSION—Common carp and common bream arecultivated in Lago Metztitlan as a source of food. Thesespecies are used in aquaculture in many places in theworld and have been introduced and naturalized widely(Gozlan, 2008). Lago Metztitlan is a resource for localhumans, and fisheries maintain fishermen who arefamiliar with the area. Common bream is only in thelake, but common carp has been collected at several sitesin the reserve (Table 2). The common carp exhibits ahigh ecological plasticity, it occupies different habitats,and it represents a significant threat to the native fishfauna.

Zoogeographically, the lantern minnow is an interest-ing species because it is one of the few species of nativecyprinids that are distributed in the Neotropical region.This species is endemic to Panuco Basin, which includesthe Rıo Metztitlan, where it was first described by Alvarezdel Villar and Navarro (1953). Its distribution within thereserve depends on temperature of water; thus, it livesprincipally in upper stretches of rivers. In fact, this speciesbreeds from winter to early spring, when temperatures ofwater are similar to those reported for reproduction ofNearctic minnows (Miller et al., 2005). Therefore,distribution of this species could reflect its preferencefor clean and unpolluted waters; thus, this species mightbe a good bioindicator of water quality.

The mesa silverside was collected only in LagoMetztitlan, and although there are no references aboutits introduction in the lake, the identification of thisspecies by local fishermen has occurred in recent times(Ibanez et al., 2008). Its presence in the lake could reflectits introduction as a source of food.

The channel catfish has been reported in the area ofLago Metztitlan, where it was introduced as a source offood. This species has been stocked widely in bothnorthern and central Mexico as a source of food. Incontrast, the endemic Rıo Verde catfish has been foundonly in the Rıo Amajac. This catfish was captured byMiller in 1974 in the Rıo Metztitlan ca. 0.5 km below theVenados Bridge (Miller et al., 2005); however, this specieswas not collected in our study. According to Miller et al.(2005), transplanted populations of channel catfish are athreat to native ictalurids and other species. In the RıoMetztitlan and its lake, the introduced channel catfishcould have caused the extinction of indigenous catfishesliving there. Despite the fact that native catfishes arecollected only rarely (Miller et al., 2005), this species wasnot detected in our exhaustive sampling of >6,800 fishes

captured in the Rıo Metztitlan, suggesting that it might benearly extinct.

The occurrence of the convict cichlid represents thefirst record for Hidalgo. This cichlid occurs naturally in ElSalvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (Schmitter-Soto,2007), and is an exotic in parts of Mexico (Contreras-Balderas, 1999). The convict cichlid is a popularornamental species that is widely distributed (Welcomme,1988).

Another exotic cichlid is the hybrid tilapia, which wasintroduced into the lake as a source of food (Ibanez,2004). The effect of introduced tilapias on native fisheshas been reported widely (e.g., Canonico et al., 2005). Inparticular, in Mexico, nonnative tilapias transfer parasitesto native cichlids (Jimenez-Garcia et al., 2001). Unfortu-nately, like the common carp, hybrid tilapias havecolonized the Rıo Metztitlan, where they probablycompete with the native Chairel cichlid. This specieshas been described by Taylor and Miller (1983) as havingan original distribution extending from two coastallagoons near Tampico and from the Rıo Sabinas, part ofthe Rıo Tamesi drainage, but >200 km distant from theReserva de la Biosfera Barranca de Metztitlan. Anexhaustive description and molecular analysis of speci-mens of Herichthys collected in the Reserva de la BiosferaBarranca de Metztitlan identified those populations as H.pantostictus. Our results support the idea that this speciesmight be widely distributed within the Panuco Basin.

In upper waters of the Rıo Metztitlan, several speci-mens of the blackfin splitfin were collected. Geographicdistribution of this species has expanded greatly to theeast, >170 km from the nearest locality of the species inHidalgo. This new record, as well as that of themexcalpique Girardinichthys viviparus (Bustamante,1837) in Lago Tecocomulco (Miranda et al., 2008), arethe easternmost reports of a species of Goodeidae.Human and industrial impacts and degradation of habitatrepresent important threats in its natural environment, inaddition to destruction of its natural environment byexploitation of water for urbanization, agriculture, andindustry. The presence of these small populationsincreases the value of upper waters of the reserve.

Several poeciliids were in the Reserva de la BiosferaBarranca de Metztitlan, but only one, the shortfin molly,was reported previously in Hidalgo. This species of mollywas collected in 14 of the 35 sampling sites, and always inmoderate abundance (Table 2). In contrast, the intro-duced porthole livebearer was collected at almost allsampling sites (33 of 35) and is considered to beabundant. These two species apparently exploit the samehabitat (Miller et al., 2005); therefore, it is possible thatintroduction of the porthole livebearer into the reservewill become a significant threat to the local native shortfinmolly. Special attention should be focused on this species.

The porthole livebearer is distributed from southernMexico to Honduras (Mateos et al., 2002), although it has

September 2012 Miranda et al.—Freshwater fishes in Hidalgo, Mexico 289

been introduced into several additional areas in Mexico(Obregon-Barboza et al., 1994). The principal means ofintroductions has been accidental release of aquariumspecimens. The abundant populations of this species andits ubiquity in all of the studied rivers and localities withinthe reserve seem to support the idea that this species ispresent throughout the entire Panuco Basin and adjacentbasins. In Hidalgo, one species, the Lerma livebearerPoeciliopsis infans, was in the Tula and San Juan del Rıorivers (Crisostomo, 1994). Our study provides the firstreport of the porthole livebearer in Hidalgo. Undoubt-edly, the presence and ubiquity of the porthole livebearerindicate its potential threat to other native species of fish.

With regard to the Heterandria, it previously wasreported as H. bimaculata (Soria-Barreto et al., 1996).The specific shape of the gonopodium of males and othermorphological characters allowed us to identify speci-mens as the barred killifish H. jonesii, based on criteria ofRosen (1979) and Miller et al. (2005). Moreover, geneticanalyses of specimens from the reserve belonging to thegenus Heterandria identify this as the barred killifish H.jonesii (A. Agorreta et al., in litt.). Although Miller (1974)classified Heterandria in the Panuco Basin as H. jonesii, in2005, this same author considered that these fishes mightbe populations of undetermined taxonomic status. Wedid not find sufficient genetic and morphologic differ-ence to consider these fish of the Rıo Metztitlan as adifferent species; thus, specimens were identified as H.jonesii.

Populations of green swordtails were detected in thereserve. This is a popular ornamental species that hasbeen introduced widely in several countries (Welcomme,1988). Accidental introduction might explain its presencein the reserve. Like the porthole livebearer, its presencecould have an impact on native species, such as theshortfin molly.

The decline of native fish faunas has been a researchfocus in recent years, which often is conducted throughtime-series comparisons. Losses of native species andincreases of exotics, colonizer species, or both, areevident (Contreras-Balderas et al., 2008). Similarly, theReserva de la Biosfera Barranca de Metztitlan suffersfrom this problem, exhibiting high abundances ofnonnative freshwater fish, principally close to theendorheic Lago Metztitlan. Knowledge of this freshwa-ter-fish fauna, as well as other floral and faunal groups,will allow managers of this protected area to establishmonitoring plans to ensure the conservation andprotection of the reserve, and the cooperation betweenresearchers, managers, and local inhabitants will becritical in achieving this goal.

This study received support from project CGL2006-02844/BOS from the Plan Nacional de Investigacion y Desarrollo enInnovacion I+D+I (2004–2007), Direccion General de Inves-tigacion, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion, Gobierno deEspana, European Regional Development Fund, and project

FOMIXHGO-2005-CO1-1 from Consejo Nacional de Ciencia yTecnologıa-Fondos Mixtos, Hidalgo, Mexico. A. Vilches, P. M.Leunda, S. Gaspar, C. E. Bautista-Hernandez, and localfishermen assisted in collection of fish. Administrators of theReserva de la Biosfera Barranca de Metztitlan (ComisionNacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas) facilitated fieldwork.A. Lopez-Morales assisted as a guide in the field and helped withcollection of fish; without his help this project would not havebeen possible.

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Submitted 1 April 2011. Accepted 11 May 2012.Associate Editor was Robert J. Edwards.

September 2012 Miranda et al.—Freshwater fishes in Hidalgo, Mexico 291