Fishes of Paraguay
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Project Summary:

This study compared how fish populations were using different shallow water habitats in a 7 hector lake in San Rafael National Reserve in southern Paraguay. The study was conducted over a seven week period from mid-April to the beginning of June.

Project Description:

The Atlantic forest is one of the most threatened habitat types in the world and is rapidly disappearing, with less than 7% of its original forest cover remaining today. Efforts are in place to protect this area. In Paraguay, Pro Cosara is a conservation organization working for the establishment of San Rafael National Park, a 70,000 hector area comprising the largest remaining block of Atlantic forest left in Paraguay. As part of their conservation efforts they created ECOSARA to provide a place for volunteers and researchers to come to San Rafael and gain more information about the park and the organisms living there.

Before this project was undertaken, no one had ever recorded what fish species were living within San Rafael.


This study was carried out in the 7 hector lake located on the Pro Cosara property.  The lake was divided into sites based on their shoreline habitat and depth, so that the fish sampled along the different habitat types could be compared to determine whether different species displayed different habitat preferences. The fish were sampled using a seine net and smaller handheld nets. In conjunction with this comparison study, all other fish that were caught in the nearby streams and ponds were recorded for identification. Results are still being processed, but thanks to this study Pro Cosara can add at least 12 new fish species to the long list of reasons why the San Rafael National Park is an area of conservation importance. - Lindsey Deignan, 2008.