Lagoa Lua de Prata, Guarapari, Espirito Santo, Brazil

Environment

Environment

Affected by human activity

Affected by human activity

Deforestation

Deforestation

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Surrounding area

Lua de Prata Lagoon is one of the largest and most beautiful lagoons in the Guarapari region, Espírito Santo, Brazil. It is part of a group of coastal lagoons that are extremely threatened by human activity, including land reclamation, pollution, and the introduction of invasive species. However, Lua de Prata Lagoon still preserves a good portion of its original area and its native plant and animal species.

In this small freshwater paradise, rich in tannins, it is possible to find fish such as Centropomus undecimalis, Dormitator maculatus, and Eleotris pisonis, commonly associated with brackish water due to its location just 220 m from the sea. However, it also contains species found exclusively in freshwater, such as Deuterodon parahybae, Geophagus brasiliensis, and Astyanax aff. lacustris, as well as shrimp and snails. It is also a refuge for amphibians, caimans, capybaras, otters, and various species of aquatic birds and birds of prey.

The lagoon is surrounded by restinga vegetation and partially preserved Atlantic Forest. It represents the resilience of nature amid urban growth and human intervention, with unique characteristics and a striking presence in the region. Located in southeastern Brazil, in an area still little known to the aquarium hobby, Lua de Prata Lagoon, like the other coastal lagoons of the region, deserves attention and protection for its rich and fragile biome.

Underwater landscape

Lagoa Lua de Prata has vegetation covering much of its shoreline, with many submerged trunks and roots, a bottom of clay and light-coloured sand, a significant accumulation of organic plant matter from the surrounding trees, and peat present throughout much of the lagoon. The growth of rushes and other species of the family Cyperaceae forms large islands of vegetation where fish, shrimp, and snails find shelter and feed.

Fish

• Deuterodon parahybae (Characidae)
• Astyanax lacustris (Characidae)
• Geophagus brasiliensis (Cichlidae)
• Eleotris pisonis (Eleotridae)
• Hoplias malabaricus (Erythrinidae)
• Dormitator maculatus (Eleotridae)

Crustaceans

• Palaemon sp. (Palaemonidae)
• Macrobrachium carcinus (Palaemonidae)

Molluscs

• Melanoides tuberculata (Thiaridae)
• Pomacea lineata (Ampullariidae)

Wetland plants

• Hypolytrum verticillatum (Cyperaceae)
• Hypolytrum sp. (Cyperaceae)
• Cyperus sp. (Cyperaceae)
• Eleocharis sp. (Cyperaceae)
• Myrcia sp. (Myrtaceae)

Threats to ecology

The coastal lagoons of Guarapari are of great importance for the conservation of native species, which are increasingly threatened by habitat loss. The construction of houses, land reclamation, and deforestation around the lagoon pose significant threats to the species living there. Being able to showcase the beauty and richness of this environment in a biotope competition is a source of great satisfaction.

Riparian zone

Trees near the aquatic habitat

Many -

Bibliography

• → Florística de um trecho de floresta de restinga no município de Guarapari, Espírito Santo, Brasil, 24/07/2004 by André Moreira de AssisI; Luciana Dias Thomaz; Oberdan José Pereira
  
• → A fauna de peixes nas bacias do sudeste do Espírito Santo, Brasil by André Moreira de AssisI; Luciana Dias Thomaz; Oberdan José Pereira
  
• → Freshwater gastropods in the Northern littoral mesoregion of Espírito Santo, Brazil by Marco Antônio Andrade de Souza
  
• → CYPERACEAE DO PARQUE ESTADUAL PAULO CÉSAR VINHA, GUARAPARI, ESPÍRITO SANTO, BRASIL by Márcio Lacerda Lopes Martinsl Rita Maria de Carvalho-Okan02 Modesto Lucen03
  

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