Checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of Chiapas, Mexico

A systematic checklist is presented for the marine estuarine fishes of Chiapas, Mexico, including notes on their zoogeography and conservation status. The checklist includes 379 species, two classes, 30 orders, 91 families, and 207 genera. Actinopterygii is the most diverse class (323 species, 181 genera, 72 families, and 23 orders), while Chondrichthyes (56 species, 26 genera, 19 families, and seven orders) is the least diverse class. Perciformes is the richest order (175 species, 98 genera, and 32 families), including seven families representing 32.2% of the total fish diversity reported here: Sciaenidae (25 species), Carangidae (21), Gobiidae (20), Haemulidae (14), Epinephelidae (11), Dactyloscopidae (10), and Gerreidae (10). Based on a taxonomical review of specimens in fish collections and literature-verified records, the list is composed of marine-stenohaline (46.7%), marine-euryhaline (48.8%), primary freshwater (1%), secondary freshwater (2.6%), and diadromous (0.2%) species. The ichthyofauna showed greater zoogeographic affinity to the Mexican (81.5%) and Panamic (80.5%) provinces, while 48 species are circumtropical, four amphipacific, five amphiamerican, and one exotic (Oreochromis niloticus). Based on the IUCN Red List, 259 species are of “Least Concern”, 18 are “Near Threatened”, 11 are “Vulnerable”, two are “Critically Endangered” (Pristis pectinata and P. pristis), and one is “Endangered” (Rhincodon typus); 23.2% are “Not Evaluated” or “Data Deficient”. Three species are under “Special Protection” and another three are “Threatened” under Mexican law NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010. Nearly 75% of the teleostean and 25% of the cartilaginous fishes are of commercial value. Taxonomic identifications should be updated and the geographic distributions of Chiapas’ coastal fish species should be documented in order to design and implement effective management and conservation programs.