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Arroyo “Santa Agueda” Papantla, Veracruz, Mexico

Mexico, Veracruz, Papantla

Stream that owes its name to the town of Santa Águeda which is located 11.1km south of the municipality of Papantla Veracruz. This small stream is the habitat of different species of aquatic plants and fish such as Herichthys tepehua.

Submitted by: Victor Manuel Chavez Morales
Approved by: Juan Miguel Artigas Azas & Jairo Arroyave

GPS: 20.5361176, -97.3186951

Geographical region: Central America
Drainage Basin: Santa Agueda
River catchment: Rio Tenixtepec
Water body type: Stream
Water body name: Arroyo Santa Agueda
Water body part: Channel
Water body course: Lower course
Water body: tributary of: River
Tributary name: Rio Tenixtepc

Videos above and below water

Water Chemistry

Water information

Water type: Fresh water
Water color: Clear water
Water transparency: Medium
Concentration of sediments: Medium
Water temperature: 26.5ºC °C
Water flow/curent: Slow

Chemical parameters

pH: 7.5
Conductivity: 600
GH: 140 mg/l
KH: 160 mg/l
Dissolved Oxygen: 90.5 %

Substrate in nature

Sand: Grey
Pebble/Gravel: Grey
Stone: Grey
Stone form: Roundish
Silt/Mud
Leaves: Few
Driftwood: Few
Submerged terrestrial vegetation: Yes

Aquatic Biotope

Date of collecting: 23.02.2020
Collecting area: River bank
Water depth: 0,5m
Air temperature: 29 °C
Sunlight: Partial shade

Environment

Environment

Affected by human activity

Affected by human activity

Deforestation

Deforestation

Advanced

Surrounding area

The Santa Águeda stream is a privileged body of water with a large amount of vegetation and species of fish and crustaceans, such as Herichthys tepehua, who has great coloration and behaviors worthy of keeping in an aquarium.

Underwater landscape

The aquatic vegetation is very diverse and abundant, creating favorable places for shelter, feeding and reproduction. There is little litter on mainly rocky soil and very little water flow.

The most abundant aquatic vegetation is composed of Cabomba, Higrophila and Ludwigias.

Fishes:

Herichthys tepehua abundant
Thorichthys maculipinnis few
Astyanax mexicanus abundant
Poecilia mexicana abundant
Xiphophorus variatus few
Gobiomorus dormitor abundant
Agonostomus monticula rare

Molluscs:

Pomacia flajellata abundant

Crustacean:

Macrobrachium acanthurus abundant
Atya sp. few
Procambarus acanthophorus rare

Aquatic plants:

Heteranthera sp. abundant
Najas guadalupensis abundant
Ceratophyllum demersum abundant
Ludwigia repens abundant
Egeria densa abundant
Hygrophila polysperma abundant
Lemna minor few
Riccia fluitans few
Heteranthera reniformis media
Azolla sp. few
Hydrocotyle sp. few

Threats to ecology

The Santa Agueda stream located in the state of Veracruz has easy access to the inhabitants of the region where they catch some fish and crustaceans, without any restriction damaging the ecology of the place.

Riparian zone

Trees near the aquatic habitat: Many - Inga vera
Trees near the aquatic habitat: Many - Salix humboldtiana
Trees near the aquatic habitat: Many - Guazuma ulmifolia
Trees near the aquatic habitat: Many - Pontederia sagittata
Trees near the aquatic habitat: Many - Cyperus sp.
Trees near the aquatic habitat: Many - Thelypteris palustres
Trees near the aquatic habitat: Few - Microgramma nitida
Trees near the aquatic habitat: Many - Neckera pennata

Bibliography

Tesis. Analisis taxonomico y zoogeogrfico de los peces de la zona norte y centro del Estado de Veracruz, Mexico. 1990 by Hortecia Obregon Barbosa
Flora de Veracruz. 1984 by Haynes, R.R
Ecology of the vegetation of Veracruz. 1973 by Gomez Pompa

Sitography

→ FishBase: Froese, R. and D. Pauly 2019
→ Biodiversidad

Comment by the expert

Juan Miguel Artigas Azas: It is a beautiful description of the habitat. My main comments are that it is not mentioned that two of the cichlid species present (Vieja fenestrata and Thorichthys maculipinnis) are in fact newly arrivals introduced by man. A wider description of the river (e.g. width, depth, structure) would have been nice. Some species which are commonly present in Rio Tenixtepec are missing from the list of fish species (e.g. Pseudoxiphophorus jonesii, Gobimorous dormitor, Awaous tasajica).

Jairo Arroyave: The participant offered a very good description of the BIN, including fair-quality photographs (or video stills?) and video of both the terrestrial habitat adjacent to the body of water and the underwater habitat. Characterization of water chemistry is thorough, as is that of fauna and flora of the biotope. The list of fishes and invertebrates seems exhaustive, as well as that of plants, both terrestrial and aquatic. Bibliography and sitography appears sufficient and adequate.