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36 <br />UN ESTUDIO DEL ICTIOFAUNA DEL RIO YAQUI. <br />Dean Hendrickson, Arizona State University. <br />Un estudio recien hecho en la cuenca del Rio Yaqui (Sonora, <br />Chihuahua y Arizona) ha registrado un total de 37 especies ictieas <br />(excluyendo 15 formas marinas), de las cuales 21 son nativas. Las <br />afinidades de esta fauna son al las faunas del Rio Gila al norte <br />y al Rio Bravo al oriente. Distribuciones de ]as especies y <br />diferencias meristicas dentro de algunas especies apoyan <br />evidencia geologica para el desarrollo de la cuenca de hoy por <br />una captura, probablemente tarde en el Terciario, que conecto <br />cuencas del norte y del sur que estuvieron antes independentes. <br />Los datos indican dos origenes independentes de los componentes <br />de la fauna procedentes del Rio Bravo. <br />. Se notaron impactos humanos localizados sobre los ambientes <br />acuaticos, pero remotos areas grandes de la cuenca retienen <br />ambientes casi completamen.te naturales y sin alteraciones. E1 <br />futuro immediato de la fauna parece seguro,-pero fueron verificadas <br />algunas introducciones de especies exoticas antes desconocidas <br />en la cuenca. De interes particular son las especies Gambusia <br />affinis, Ictalurus furcatus a Ictalurus punctatus por sus impactos <br />potenciales sobre las nativas Poeciliopsis occidentalis a Ictalurus <br />pricei. <br />A Survey of the Rio Yaqui Ichthyofauna. Dean Hendrickson, Arizona <br />State University. <br />A recent survey of the Rio Yaqui basin (Arizona, Sonora and Chih- <br />uahua) has recorded a total of 37 fish species (excluding 15 marine <br />forms), 21 of which are known natives. The fauna shows affinities to <br />the faunas of the Gila River basin to the North and the Rio Grande to <br />the East. Species distributions and meristic differences within some <br />species support geological evidence for development of the present <br />drainage as two formerly independent North and South basins probably <br />connected in late Tertiary. Two independent origins of the Rio Grande <br />components of the Yaqui fauna is indicated. <br />Localized human impacts on aquatic systems were noted, but large <br />remote areas of the basin retain almost completely undisturbed, natural <br />habitats and the immediate future of the fauna appears secure. New re- <br />cords reported here of the exotics Ictalurus furcatus, Ictalurus punc <br />tatus and Gambusia affinis however merit attention and monitoring of <br />their potential impacts on the natives, Ictalurus r?icei and Poeciliop- <br />sis occidentalis.