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Amazon Rainforest

Amazon fish tales

This is the tail fin of a beautifual native catfish known as the "Pintorillo" (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum) which inhabits the lagoons of the upper Amazon.

Over 750 species of fish are found in the freshwater habitats of Amazonian Ecuador. Compare that with the 450 species of fish that occur in the coastal and offshore waters of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.

What accounts for the high fish diversity in the Amazon basin? The dark waters of the upper Amazon are laden with organic matter such as fallen fruits and seeds from the rainforest. Aquatic vegetation and omnivorous fish benefits nutrients washed by heavy rains in the rainforest which settle into rivers and lagoons.