A Review of the Freshwater Fishes of Curaçao, with Comments on those of Aruba and Bonaire

Abstract:

Based on a field survey and review of published records, I report the occurrence of 13 species of fishes in fresh waters of Curaçao. Seven species are new or previously unpublished freshwater records for the island. New records are also provided for the adjacent islands of Aruba and Bonaire. Although the native freshwater fish fauna is dominated by predatory gobiid and eleotrid fishes, the most frequently encountered species was the endemic molly, Poecilia vandepolli. The next most frequent species was the native mountain mullet (Agonostomus monticola), followed by the exotic Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) and the native emerald sleeper (Erotelis smaragdus). High dams block surface water flows in Curaçao and prevent migration of native amphidromous fish. The introduced tilapia has apparently reduced the abundance of native species. 

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