The Amazon river dolphin, also known as the boto, bufeo or pink river dolphin, is a species of toothed whale endemic to South America and is classified in the family Iniidae. Three subspecies are currently recognized: I. g. geoffrensis, I. g. boliviensis and I. g. humboldtiana while position of Araguaian river dolphin within the clade is still unclear. The three subspecies are distributed in the Amazon basin, the upper Madeira River in Bolivia, and the Orinoco basin, respectively.
The Chinese paddlefish, also known as the Chinese swordfish, is an extinct species of fish that was formerly native to the Yangtze and Yellow River basins in China. With records of specimens over three metres and possibly 7 m (23 ft) in length, it was one of the largest species of freshwater fish. It was the only species in the genus Psephurus and one of two recent species of paddlefish (Polyodontidae), the other being the American paddlefish. It was an anadromous species, meaning that it spent part of its adult life at sea, while migrating upriver to spawn.
The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about 7,000,000 km2 (2,700,000 sq mi), or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela, as well as the territory of French Guiana.
The yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle, also known commonly as the yellow-headed sideneck turtle and the yellow-spotted river turtle, and locally as the taricaya, is one of the largest South American river turtles.
The elegant corydoras or elegant catfish is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the subfamily Corydoradinae of the family Callichthyidae. It originates in inland waters in South America, and is found in the Upper Amazon River basin in Brazil, Colombia and Peru. The specific epithet elegans means elegant.
The ocellate river stingray, also known as the peacock-eye stingray or black river stingray, is a species of freshwater stingray in the family Potamotrygonidae. It was the first species to be described in the family and is also the most widespread, ranging throughout much of the Río de la Plata, Amazon, Mearim and Orinoco basins in tropical and subtropical South America. It is sometimes kept in aquaria.
The bonytail chub or bonytail is a cyprinid freshwater fish native to the Colorado River basin of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming in the southwestern United States; it has been extirpated from the part of the basin in Mexico. It was once abundant and widespread in the basin, its numbers and range have declined to the point where it has been listed as endangered since 1980 (ESA) and 1986 (IUCN), a fate shared by the other large Colorado basin endemic fish species like the Colorado pikeminnow, humpback chub, and razorback sucker. It is now the rarest of the endemic big-river fishes of the Colorado River. There are 20 species in the genus Gila, seven of which are found in Arizona.
The southern martin is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae.
The elegant woodcreeper is a species of bird in the subfamily Dendrocolaptinae of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The western terrestrial garter snake is a western North American species of colubrid snake. At least five subspecies are recognized.
The twospot rasbora is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Rasbora native to south east asia. It is one of the members of the Sumatrana group.
The Costello tetra is a species of characin from the Amazon basin and is found in Brazil and Peru. The specific name comes from Lake Hyanuary in Brazil. Other common names used in English are January tetra and green neon. The name "green neon" is also used for Paracheirodon simulans.
Brachyhypopomus is a genus of fish in the family Hypopomidae native primarily to tropical and subtropical South America, although a single species, B. occidentalis, also occurs in Panama and Costa Rica. They are found in a wide range of static or slow-flowing freshwater habitats such as edges of rivers, streams, floodplains and swamps, but they are absent from deep river channels. There are both species in well-oxygenated waters and poorly oxygenated waters; those in the latter have adaptions that allow them to survive this like larger gills or the capability of gulping up mouthfuls of air from the water surface. Brachyhypopomus feed during the night on small invertebrates.
Hypopygus is a genus of South American gymnotiform knifefishes native to the Amazon, Orinoco and upper Paraguay basins, as well as rivers in the Guianas. They are often common, and found near submerged roots, aquatic vegetation and leaf-litter in streams, edges of rivers and floodplains. They are regularly found among vegetation in floating meadows, a habitat that often contains little oxygen, but they are well-adapted to this.
Steatogenys is a genus of gymnotiform knifefishes found in the Amazon, Orinoco and Essequibo river basins in tropical South America. The widespread and common S. elegans is found in a wide range of habitats, from the shallow essentially static waters such as floodplain lakes to fast-flowing rivers as deep as 50 m (160 ft). The two remaining species are less common and widespread, with A. duidae found mainly in small streams running through terra firme forests and S. ocellatus among submerged roots and branches in static or slow-flowing blackwater habitats. All three are regularly found among vegetation in floating meadows, a habitat that often contains little oxygen, but they are well-adapted to this.
Rhamphichthys(Rhamphos = Greek for beak and Ichthys = Greek for fish) is a genus of fish that includes the South American sand knifefish. These fish are eel shaped with a distinct beak like snout which gave them their name. Like most other knifefish Rhamphichthys species have electrical organs that help them live in the murky waters of South America. Currently there are 10 recognized species of Rhamphichthys, although many changes have been made in their taxonomy since their original discovery.
Cynodonichthys elegans is a species of killifish from the family Rivulidae which is found in temporary pools in the Cauca River basin and in the San Juan River in the Chocó Department in Colombia.
Brachyhypopomus walteri is a species of electric knifefish. The species was discovered in the Central Amazon.
Distocyclus conirostris is a species of glass knifefishes found in the deep waters of the Amazon basin, lower portions of the Potaro River and in major parts of the Rio Orinoco. They are typically relegated to flood basins, flooded forests and main river channels. They have often been found gathering in small groups around vegetation, indicating a social nature. The fish has semi-translucent, glass-like pectoral and anal fins. The main body is a ground-like color with a lighter head. The largest currently recorded specimen is 34.5 cm.
A whitewater river is classified based on its chemistry, sediments and water colour. Whitewater rivers have high levels of suspended sediments, giving the water a pH that is near-neutral, a high electric conductivity and a pale muddy, café au lait-like colour. Whitewater rivers are of great ecological importance and are important to local fisheries. The major seasonal Amazonian floodplains known as várzea receive their water from them.
