Scleromystax - Mata Atlántica

Scleromystax-Mata Atlântica

The rainforest on the east coast of Brazil - the Mata Atlântica - is home to many endemic animal and plant species. The tropical forest, which once comprised 17 states, is separated from the Amazon rainforest by savannah and dry areas. The states from which catfish of the genus Scleromystax are known are, from north to south, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. The best known are probably the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo with the large cities of the same name, which are growing ever further inland and taking up territory

The Mata Atlântica is one of the most species-rich and at the same time most endangered tropical forests in the world. Deforestation for cattle farming is the biggest threat and today only fragments of the once 1,3 million square kilometers of forest remain. The Mata Atlântica received international attention on a sad occasion in November 2015, when two retention basins of ore mines burst and the Rio Doce in the state of Minas Gerais was contaminated with heavy metals and other toxic substances over a length of around 650 km. The mudslide cost lives, tore away entire villages and cut off many people's access to clean drinking water and non-toxic fish.

The catfish of the genus Scleromystax inhabit the Mata Atlântica. The sometimes very long distance to the equator is reflected in distinct seasons with temperatures ranging from 20 to 25°C. This should be taken into account when keeping Scleromystax, as permanently high temperatures cause the species to age more quickly. They are therefore very suitable for unheated aquaria. The species S. barbatus, S. kronei, S. macropterus, S. prionotos, S. lacerdai and the undescribed species C112, C113/CW38, CW147, CW148 and CW198 are known in the aquarium hobby. Other species unknown or very rare in the aquarium hobby are S. reisi, S. salmacis, S. virgulatus, as well as the undescribed CW42, CW67 and CW92. It should be noted that S. macropterus and S. lacerdai have been classified as endangered even in Brazil and are not authorized for export. In the revision of the subfamily of armored catfishes (Corydoradinae) published in June 2024, the genera Brochis, Gastrodermus, Hoplisoma and Osteogaster were fundamentally revalidated, but no changes were made to Scleromystax. Aspidoras is the sister group of Scleromystax.

Photo: Scleromystax kronei (stock by Ronny Stavenow, photo: Daniel Elster

The Scleromystax - Mata Atlántica project was launched in 2016 in response to the mentioned natural disaster and was successfully managed for several years by Erik Schiller (Germany) and subsequently by Rob McLure (USA) and Roman Lechner (Austria). During this period, an important contribution was made to the conservation of species such as S. prionotos and S. barbatus. There were still several hundred offspring in the project in 2020. Due to a lack of time, we have unfortunately seen a period of inactivity in recent years, which is why the project management was handed over to Anne Bernard (formerly Zierold) in 2024. We are now trying to re-establish the project and involve numerous established and new breeders.

The aim of the species conservation project for the Scleromystax of the Mata Atlântica is to bring together populations and increase numbers through breeding.

project manager: Anne Bernard (Deutschland)   Email: contact_scleromystax@conservation.oevvoe.org

• Zoo Leipzig
• Behm, Mike
• Dornieden, Bärbel
• Friedrich, Torsten
• Henschel, Dietmar
• Janisch, Jürgen
• Jansen, Dirk
• Lechner, Roman
• Reiter, Guido
• Selig, Hubert
• Stavenow, Ronny
• Stojek, Dirk
• Thomas, Astrid
• Uwe, Sven