Our mission
Being an international scientific forum to disseminate and discuss original research with emphasis on Neotropical freshwater fishes, and on estuarine and marine fishes with occurrence on the adjacent Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Basic information
Neotropical Ichthyology is the official journal of the Brazilian Society of Ichthyology (SBI). It is an international peer-reviewed Open Access journal that publishes original articles and reviews with emphasis on Neotropical freshwater fishes, and on estuarine and marine fishes with occurrence on the adjacent Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Areas of interest: Biology, Biochemistry, Biogeography, Comparative Anatomy, Conservation, Ecology, Ethology, Evolution, Genetics, Life History, Phylogeography, Physiology, and Systematics.
Frequency: Since 2020, Neotropical Ichthyology has published four issues per year exclusively online, adopting a “rolling pass” system in which articles are made available as soon as they are ready for publication. Each article is immediately assigned a searchable and citable Digital Object Identifier (DOI) upon online release, without the need to await issue closure.
Peer review process: From October 2025, all manuscripts submitted to Neotropical Ichthyology undergo a transparent single-blind peer review process. In this system, the Editor-in-Chief screens each submission to verify whether it falls within the journal’s scope and policies, presents original research, and complies with the journal’s guidelines. Manuscripts that pass this initial screening are assigned to a Section Editor, who conduct a preliminary editorial and scientific review, and then designates an Associate Editor to oversee the review process. Typically, manuscripts are evaluated by two outside reviewers, although additional referees may be invited when necessary. Once the reviews are returned, the Associate Editor issues a recommendation to accept in its present form, accept pending minor revision, accept pending major revision, reject with the possibility of resubmission, or reject with no possibility of resubmission. The final decision, with the reviewers’ comments and suggestions, is then communicated to the corresponding author. If the decision involves acceptance pending revision, authors must submit a Rebuttal Letter addressing all changes, a revised version of the manuscript with tracked changes, and a clean copy. These materials are reassessed by the Associate Editor, who may decide to accept, reject, or send the manuscript for an additional round of review. The complete peer review history, from initial submission to final decision, is published alongside the article, including reviewer reports, editorial decision letters, and the authors’ responses. Reviewer identities remain anonymous unless they choose to disclose them.
Production: Once accepted, the manuscript is revised by one or two Assistant Editors, who check for errors and adjust the format according to Neotropical Ichthyology’s style and standards. The revised manuscript is then forwarded to the Publishing Editor, who performs an additional review of the entire text, tables, figures, and supplementary files before sending all materials to the production team. Proof PDFs are returned to the Publishing Editor, who contacts the authors for corrections and final approval. After author approval, the final proof is reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief for a last round of corrections and adjustments. The approved version is then prepared by the production team, which generates the publishable PDF and XML files. These files are sent to the SciELO team (https://www.scielo.br/j/ni/), which publishes the article online and assigns the DOI upon release. On the same day, the article is also made available on the journal’s website (https://www.ni.bio.br/). Currently, the average time from submission to publication is approximately 180 days. However, our team is actively working to reduce this period by incorporating new editors and restructuring our editorial processes. Our goal is to shorten the timeline to approximately 120 days.
Open Science: As a member of the SciELO network, Neotropical Ichthyology adheres to the principles of Open Science with IDEIA, a global initiative that promotes openness, transparency, and reproducibility in research, while emphasizing Impact, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. Since its inception, the journal has followed an Open Access Policy, ensuring that all published research is freely available immediately upon publication, without restrictions. Articles can be read, downloaded, copied, and disseminated for any lawful purpose, provided appropriate credit is given to both the authors and the journal. In addition to the main text, Neotropical Ichthyology requires the inclusion of complementary items that ensure replicability and verification, such as the Data Availability Statement, AI Statement, Ethical Statement, Competing Interests, Author Contributions, and Funding information. These policies are designed to enhance the quality and reliability of published research by encouraging open and constructive feedback, fostering accountability, and promoting fairness. Furthermore, they allow readers to gain deeper insights into the editorial process underlying each publication, provide valuable educational opportunities, and help identify potential sources of bias.
Costs: Page charges are waived for members of the Brazilian Society of Ichthyology (SBI). For non-members, a publication fee of R$400.00 is applied to the corresponding author prior to the publication of the manuscript. For authors from outside Brazil the values will be converted to US dollars based on the current exchange rate. This fee, which exceeds the annual membership cost, is intended both to provide financial support for the journal and the SBI, and to encourage researchers to join the society.
Social media: Neotropical Ichthyology maintains an active presence on social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram (@neoichth), and “X” (formerly Twitter), to promote and disseminate publications. Outreach initiatives may include press releases, infographics, social media cartoons, posts, videos, and other promotional materials highlighting selected articles. These activities are coordinated by the Social Media Editor, in collaboration with the production team. Upon acceptance of a manuscript, authors are encouraged to provide images and additional details of their study, as well as to record a short video for dissemination on Instagram. Authors who prefer to design and share their own promotional content are kindly asked to tag the journal in their posts, especially on Instagram @neoichth.
Scope and policy
Submitted manuscripts must report original research and reviews with emphasis on Neotropical freshwater fishes, and on estuarine and marine fishes with occurrence on the adjacent Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Manuscripts must provide a clear theoretical framework, explicitly state the objectives and/or hypotheses under consideration, and employ appropriate sampling strategies and analytical methods. Descriptive studies may be considered for publication only when they (i) focus on neglected species for which critical information on biology and natural history is lacking; (ii) investigate species inhabiting highly disturbed environments, with an explicit conservation or management context; or (iii) address species listed in threat categories or classified as Data Deficient (DD) on red lists. The decision to consider a descriptive study ultimately rests with the Editors. The journal also welcomes methodological contributions. However, casual observations, short notes, and purely descriptive studies without clear theoretical, conservation, or management relevance will not be considered. Furthermore, Neotropical Ichthyology prioritizes studies on native species within their natural basins. Studies on non-native species must emphasize the consequences of their introduction for native ichthyofauna and include explicit conservation recommendations. Manuscripts addressing aquaculture should instead be directed to journals specializing in Animal Science.
Licensing and Copyright
Since 2015, Neotropical Ichthyology publishes under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0, Attribution 4.0 International) license, which allows others to copy, distribute, display, perform, and modify the work, including for commercial purposes, as long as appropriate credit is given to the original author. This license maximizes the dissemination and reuse of licensed materials while ensuring that authorship is always acknowledged.
Sponsors
Neotropical Ichthyology is sponsored by Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia – SBI, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq, and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – CAPES.
Indexing
Neotropical Ichthyology is indexed by several sources, including: AGRIS – FAO, ASFA, Biological Abstracts*, BIOSIS Previews*, BVS*, Crossref Metadata, Current Contents*, DOAJ, EBSCO*, Electronic Journals Library EZB, FishBase, Journal Citation Reports*, Latindex, National Agricultural Library – NAL/USDA, Science Citation Index Expanded, ScienceOpen/USA, SciLit, Scopus, Scielo, Web of Science*, and WorldCat, Zoological Records* [*Integrated to the Clarivate Analytics – Web of Science].
Neotropical Ichthyology currently holds JCR Impact factor of 1.8 (Q1) in 2025 (and 5-Year JIF of 2.0), cite Score in Scopus of 3.5 in 2024, SJR/Scimago of 0.563 (Q1) in 2024, H-Index of 70 in 2024 by Google Scholar. Neotropical Ichthyology is currently classified as A3 (2017-2020) according to Brazilian funding agency CAPES.
Instructions to authors
October, 2025
Submission of Manuscripts
Manuscripts must be submitted exclusively through the ScholarOne portal: mc04.manuscriptcentral.com/niscielo .
Each submission must include, at a minimum, a Cover Letter and the Main Manuscript File (Main Text). Additional files, such as Figures, Tables, or Supplementary Material, may also be uploaded. Prior to submission, the corresponding author must ensure that all authors and coauthors have validated ORCID iDs and updated their profiles in our system. ORCID registration is available at http://orcid.org , and the ORCID iD for each coauthor must be provided during submission. Valid mailing addresses and e-mail addresses for all authors must also be entered in the appropriate forms. For taxonomic manuscripts, please consult the Guideline to Taxonomic Publication, below. During submission, authors must suggest at least five potential reviewers, including name, institutional affiliation, country, and valid e-mail address. Authors may also declare conflicts of interest or request the exclusion of specific reviewers, if applicable. Manuscripts that do not comply with the journal’s formatting requirements, lack mandatory files, or are written in poor English will be returned to authors without review. Authors are strongly encouraged to read and follow all instructions carefully before submission.
Cover Letter
A Cover Letter must accompany each submission and clearly state: 1. that the article represents original research and is not under consideration elsewhere (if previously submitted to a preprint server, provide the link). 2. the significance of the research, highlighting its strengths and the main conclusions or recommendations derived from the work. 3. that the corresponding author affirms all coauthors are aware of and agree with the submission.
Text Format Details
Manuscripts must be prepared in DOC, DOCX, or RTF formats; files in XLS, XLSX, or PDF will not be accepted. Text should be written in Times New Roman, size 12, with 1.5 line spacing, left-aligned, and without full justification. Authors must adopt sentence-style capitalization, in which only the first word of a sentence and proper nouns begin with a capital letter. The first paragraph of each section (i.e., headings) should not be indented. Pages should be numbered consecutively, starting from the first page, with numbers placed at the bottom right. Subheadings must be formatted in bold, left-aligned, followed by a bold period and the text in regular font (e.g., Sampling sites. Collections were made…). Headings and subheadings should not be numbered or lettered.
Numbers from one to nine must be spelled out, except when referring to measurements, counts, or when citing figures and tables. Numbers that begin a sentence must also be written out. All measurements must follow the metric system. Abbreviations must be defined in the Material and Methods section, except for those in common use (e.g., min, km, mm, kg, m, sec, h, ml, L, g). Collection sites and geographical names that include rivers may be written in English, with the initial letter capitalized (e.g., Amazonas River), or in the local language, with the initial letter in lowercase (e.g., rio Amazonas or río Amazonas). The manuscript must be consistent throughout in the choice of translating or not translating such terms into the local language. The word “basin”, on the other hand, should always be written in lowercase and should not be translated (e.g., rio Amazonas basin or Amazonas River basin).
Formatting restrictions include the prohibition of headers, footers, footnotes (except page numbers), multiple columns, indentation by tabs or spaces, underlining, and automatic hyphenation at line breaks. Files must not be locked or protected. Latin expressions (et al., in vitro, in vivo, vs., i.e., e.g.) and scientific names of genera and species must be italicized. The “&” symbol is used only between name of authors in species authorship, and between names of collectors when citing material examined. Use an en-dash for numerical ranges (e.g., 1–4), by hyphen for composed words (e.g., well-developed). The “Symbol” font may be used to represent specific characters (χ, μ, θ, ω, ε, ρ, τ, Ψ, υ, ι, ο, π, α, σ, δ, Φ, γ, η, φ, κ, λ, ∋, ϖ, β, ν, ≅, Θ, Ω, Σ, Δ, Φ). Although there is no strict page limit, manuscripts should be as concise as possible.
Manuscript File Details
The main text file must contain the following sections as headings, in the specified order: Title, Authors, Authors’ Address, Abstract, Keywords, Resumo or Resumen, Palavras chave or Palabras clave, Running-title, Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgements (optional), References, Data Availability Statement, AI Statement, Ethical Statement, Competing Interests, Author Contributions, and Funding information. Please note that a separate “Conclusion” section is not permitted. The Results and Discussion sections should remain distinct and should not be combined.
Title: The title must accurately reflect the manuscript’s content. Scientific binomials are required in place of vernacular names. The title should be centered, in boldface, without quotation marks. Subordinate taxa should be separated by a colon. Please note that taxonomic authorship for species names must not be included in the title, and new taxon names are prohibited in the title.
Example: A new loricariid catfish of the genus Hypostomus from the rio Paraná basin, Brazil (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes)
Authors: For multi-institutional authorship, superscript numerals in regular font should link authors to their respective institutions. These numerals may also denote multiple addresses for a single author. For Hispanic or compound surnames, a hyphen should connect the paternal and maternal surnames if the author uses both. Author first names must not be abbreviated. The names of the last two authors should be separated by “and”. The use of full middle names is encouraged, except when the number of authors exceeds four.
Example: Heraldo Antônio Britski1, Naércio Aquino de Menezes1, James A. Vanegas-Ríos2 and John Lundberg3
Authors addresses: Complete mailing addresses and valid email addresses for all authors must be provided. This includes the institution name, street address, postal code, city, state, and country. For Brazilian and U.S. states, use standard abbreviations preceded by a comma. The country name must be presented in English; all other address components (e.g., institution, city) must remain untranslated. Email addresses should be integrated into the institutional address listing. For multiple authors at a single institution, the author’s initials should precede their respective email address. The ORCID iD for every author and co-author is mandatory. Authors not yet registered must do so at http://orcid.org. The corresponding author should be indicated with “(corresponding author)” following their ORCID iD. Please note that footnotes and terminal periods are not permitted.
Example: 1 Seção de Peixes, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Nazaré, 481, Ipiranga, 04263-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil. (HAB) heraldo@usp.br, ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5593-9651 (corresponding author), (NAM) naercio@usp.br, ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9634-6051
2División Zoología de Vertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Paseo del Bosque s/no, B1900FWA La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. anyelovr@fcnym.unlp.edu.ar, ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9356-7687
3Department of Ichthyology, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 19103-1195 Philadelphia, PA, USA. mhs58@drexel.edu, ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5671-9933
Abstract: The abstract must be a single, continuous paragraph of no more than 200 words. It should articulate the significance and relevance of the research to engage potential readers. Please note that the Abstract should not include reference citations.
Keywords: Provide up to five keywords in English, written with first capital letter, separated by commas, and listed in alphabetical order. If the manuscript includes an identification key, it should be listed as a keyword. Please note that keywords must not duplicate words from the title. The terms “Neotropical” and “Ichthyology” are prohibited as they appear in the journal title.
Example: Keywords: Food chain, Identification key, Ostariophysi, Taxonomy.
Resumo or Resumen: Provide a concise and accurate literal translation of the English abstract into Portuguese or Spanish.
Palavras chave or Palabras clave: Provide the accurate literal translation of the English Keywords into Portuguese or Spanish. The translated keywords must also be arranged in alphabetical order, which may result in a sequence different from the English version.
Running head: Suggest a running title of no more than 50 characters, including spaces. It should concisely reflect the article’s content. Please note that vernacular names and species authorship are not permitted.
Example: New species of Astyanax from rio Ribeira de Iguape
Introduction: The introduction should provide sufficient background and context, both general and specific, to enable readers to understand the research framework, justify the study’s rationale, and clearly define its objectives.
Material and methods: The Material and methods section should include both the material (usually specimens) used in the study as well as the methods for data sampling and analyses, as to ensure reproducibility. Subheadings may be used to organize distinct topics (e.g., Sampling sites, Statistical analyses, Examined material). When listing examined material, provide a list of institutional acronyms within this section or cite a reference containing such a list (e.g., Fricke, Eschmeyer, 2025 [Link here]; Sabaj, 2020 [link Here]; Sabaj, 2025) [Link Here]. Similarly, references for species identification and classification must be provided. The standard reference for species classification is Fricke et al. (2025, [Link Here]).
Results: Present all findings obtained in the study, utilizing tables and figures where appropriate. Subheadings may be used to separate distinct topics (e.g., Molecular analyses, Morphological analyses).
Discussion: Provide a comprehensive interpretation of the results. The final paragraph(s) should highlight the principal conclusions of the study. Subheadings may be used to organize distinct topics (e.g., Molecular Analyses, Morphological Analyses).
Acknowledgments (optional): This section is optional but encouraged. Acknowledgments should be concise and include the full names (first and last) of individuals acknowledged. If institutional affiliations are provided, use abbreviated names as defined in the Materials and Methods section. Sponsor institutions should be listed in their original language, without translation. Author names within this section should be abbreviated (e.g., “AAA would like to thank…”). Collection permit numbers and ethics committee approvals should be listed in the Open Science section, in the end of the text file. Please note that all funding information should not be included here, but in its own item (see Open Science section below).
References: Ensure that all citations in the text and the References coincide before submitting a manuscript. Gray literature should be used with parsimony; include Master Thesis or Ph.D. dissertations only if extremely necessary, and avoid undergraduate monographs, conference papers, abstracts or technical reports. In case of authors with surnames with prepositions, in Portuguese do not include the preposition (e.g., Carlos Alberto da Silva = Silva CA), in Spanish do not include “de” (e.g., María de Rueda = Rueda M), but include “Del” (e.g., Angel Del Río = Del Río A), except for authors who usually self-cite differently.
In the Main text, references must be cited in the following formats: Eigenmann (1915, 1921) or (Eigenmann, 1915, 1921; Fowler, 1945, 1948; Carvalho, 2001) or Eigenmann, Norris (1918) or, for more than two coauthors, Eigenmann et al. (1910a,b). Always list citations first in chronological order and then in alphabetical order in case of more than one author cited.
Neotropical Ichthyology has a unique style and format rules for listing References. All references must be rigorously organized according to an alphabetical order, ignoring prepositions for the purpose of alphabetization.
For articles, follow the following sequence and format: Author(s). Article’s title. Journal’s title. Year of publication; volume(number):page numbers. DOI.
Example 1. Abudayah WH, Mathis A. Predator recognition learning in rainbow darters Etheostoma caeruleum: specific learning and neophobia. J Fish Biol. 2016; 89(3):1612–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.13061
Example 2. Ota RR, Deprá GC, Graça WJ, Pavanelli CS. Peixes da planície de inundação do alto rio Paraná e áreas adjacentes: revised, annotated and updated. Neotrop Ichthyol. 2018; 16(2):e170094. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1982-0224-20170094
Example 3. Sawakuchi AO, Hartmann GA, Sawakuchi HO, Pupim FN, Bertassoli DJ, Parra M et al. The Volta Grande do Xingu: reconstruction of past environments and forecasting of future scenarios of a unique Amazonian fluvial landscape. Sci Drill. 2015; 20:21–32.
For articles in press follow the following sequence and format: Author(s). Article’s title. Journal’s title (as indicated above). Forthcoming expected year for publication.
Example 1. Birindelli JL, Britski HA, Provenzano F. New species of Leporinus (Characiformes: Anostomidae) from the highlands of the Guiana Shield in Venezuela. Neotrop Ichthyol. Forthcoming 2019.
For books, follow the following sequence and format: Author(s). Book’s title. City of Publisher: Publisher; Year of publication.
Example1. Baumgartner G, Pavanelli CS, Baumgartner D, Bifi AG, Debona T, Frana VA. Peixes do baixo rio Iguaçu. Maringá: EDUEM; 2012.
For edited books, follow the following sequence and format: Author(s), editor(s). Book’s title. City of Publisher: Publisher; Year of publication.
Example 1. Reis RE, Kullander SO, Ferraris Jr. CJ. editors. Check list of the freshwater fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: Edipucrs; 2003.
For book chapters follow the following sequence and format: Author(s). Chapter’s title. In: Book’s editor(s), editor(s). Book’s title. City of Publisher: Publisher; Year of publication. p.chapter pages.
Example 1. Pires T, Ohara W. Gasteropelecidae. In: Queiroz L, Torrente-Vilara G, Ohara W, Pires T, Zuanon J, Doria C, editors. Peixes do rio Madeira. São Paulo: Dialeto Latin America Documentary; 2013. p.206–11.
For Reports and Government Publications follow the following sequence and format: Author(s). Title [Internet]. City; Year of publication. Available from: internet address.
Example 1. Eayrs S. A Guide to bycatch reduction in Tropical shrimp-trawl fisheries [Internet]. Rome; 2007. Available from: www.fao.org/docrep/015/a1008e/a1008e.pdf
Example 2. International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). International code of zoological nomenclature. 4th ed. London: International trust for zoological nomenclature Natural History Museum [Internet]. London; 1999. Available from: https://www.iczn.org/the-code/the-international-code-of-zoological-nomenclature
Example 3. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Standards and petitions subcommittee. Guidelines for using the IUCN Red List categories and criteria. Version 16 [Internet]. Gland; 2024. Available from: http://cmsdocs.s3.amazonaws.com/RedListGuidelines.pdf
For Master Thesis and PhD. Dissertation follow the following sequence and format: Author. Title. [PhD Dissertation/Master Thesis]. City: University; Year. Available from: hyperlink when available.
Example 1. Oliveira AG. Predizendo impactos das mudanças climáticas sobre a diversidade funcional de peixes de água doce: um panorama “down under”. [PhD Thesis]. Maringá: Universidade Estadual de Maringá; 2018. Available from: http://nou-rau.uem.br/nou-rau/document/?code=vtls000228862
Example 2. Figueiredo PICC. Decifrando a relação evolutiva entre Gymnogeophagus labiatus (Hensel, 1870) e Gymnogeophagus lacustris Reis & Malabarba 1988 (Cichlidae: Geophagini). [Master Dissertation]. Porto Alegre: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; 2018.
For Webpages follow the following sequence and format: Author(s). Title [Internet]. City of Publisher or responsible for the page: Publisher; Year of the publication. Available from: internet address.
Example 1. Fricke R, Eschmeyer WN, Van der Laan R. Eschmeyer’s catalog of fishes: genera, species, references [Internet]. San Francisco: California Academy of Science; 2025. Available from: http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp
For abbreviations of the journal titles use: https://images.webofknowledge.com/images/help/WOS/R_abrvjt.html, or http://cassi.cas.org/search.jsp,
or http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/journals.
Do not abbreviate journal titles that comprises a single word. In case you do not find the journal name in the above links, provide the full name of the journal and highlight it in yellow. Provide only the e-location if there are no page numbers.
For users of the Mendeley manager, which is free, the Neotropical Ichthyology style for citations and references is available. To insert it in your Mendeley, login the software > view > citation styles > get more styles > paste the link https://csl.mendeley.com/styles/78754841/neotropical-ichthyology. For more information see: https://www.elsevier.com/solutions/mendeley/support. Do not forget to write all scientific names in the references in italic. Always provide a hyperlink when available. For page numbers, omit repeated digits in number ranges (e.g., use 206–11 instead of 206–211). See other examples of references in the latest published articles.
Open Science section
Data Availability Statement: A Data Availability Statement informs readers where the research data supporting the findings of the study can be accessed and under what conditions. These statements promote transparency, reproducibility, and enhance the visibility of the data produced or collected during the research process. Below are examples of acceptable Data Availability Statements:
Example 1. For data publicly available: “The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.” OR “The data supporting the findings of this study are included in the supplementary material of this article.” OR “The datasets generated during the current study are available in the [repository name] repository, DOI: [DOI number].”
Example 2. For data available upon request: “The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [author name], upon reasonable request.”
Example 3. For data with limited access: “The data supporting this study are available from [third party]. Restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under license for this study. Data are available from the authors upon reasonable request and with permission from [third party].” OR “The data supporting the findings of this study will be made available in the [repository name] at [URL/DOI] following an embargo period from the date of publication to allow for commercialization of research findings.”
Example 4. For data not available: “The data are not publicly available due to [e.g., privacy or ethical restrictions].”
Example 5. When Data Availability Statement is not applicable: “Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.”
Ethical Statement: For manuscripts from Brazilian Institutions, as recommended by the Brazilian Council of Animal Experimentation Control, we ask you to provide the protocol numbers authorizing the research by the Animal Ethics Committees of your institution and the permit numbers or collection licenses authorizing field research. If your work did not require such permissions, state this explicitly. For manuscripts from countries other than Brazil, please provide text referring to the documentation required in the respective country.
Example: Experiments were approved by the Ethical Committee for Animal Use in Experiments of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (CEUA number ###/year ###) and Collection Licenses of SISBIO number ####.
AI Statement: In light of the growing utility and rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, and in the interest of upholding principles of research transparency, Neotropical Ichthyology requires authors to explicitly disclose the use of any AI tools in the preparation of their manuscript. This includes, but is not limited to, generative AI models employed for data analysis, editing, or grammar correction. If no AI tools were utilized, authors must include the following statement in the designated AI Statement section: “The authors did not use any AI-assisted technologies in the creation of this manuscript or its figures.”. If AI tools were used, authors must specify the programs or models employed and provide a brief description of their application. A concise summary of the tools and their purposes is sufficient. Please consult Scielo’ guideline for the correct use of AI at https://wp.scielo.org/wp-content/uploads/Guide-to-the-Use-of-AI-tools-and-resources-20230914.pdf.
Author Contributions: All co-authors must have contributed substantially to main article steps. Please provide information that will enable the readers understand about individual contributions to the work. For this, use specifically the definitions provided by the CRediT’s 14 Contributor Roles, available at https://credit.niso.org/.
Example: Eduardo Mejia: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Writing-original draft, Writing-review and editing.
Gustavo A. Ferraro: Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Writing-review and editing.
Igor C. A. Souto-Santos: Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Writing-review and editing.
Competing Interests: State any conflict of interest or alternatively state that “The author declares no competing interests.”.
Funding information: Provide a sentence stating all the funding agencies, the processes numbers and authors beneficiated involved in your study.
Example: The authors were funded by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP (TCF, grant #2021/00242–0; CO, grant #2020/13433–6; FCTL, grants #2011/51532-7 and 2013/20936–0), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq (CO, grants #306054/2006–0 and #441128/2020–3) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001.
Tables
Tables must be submitted as individual files in an open format (e.g., .docx, .xlsx). They must be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals according to their order of citation in the text. In-text citations should use the formats: Tab. 1 or Tabs. 1, 4. Use an en-dash for numerical ranges (e.g., Tabs. 1–4). The desired insertion point for each table must be indicated in uppercase letters along the right margin of the text, as follows: TABLE 1.
Table captions must be self-explanatory and conclude with a period. The word “TABLE” and the period following its numeral must be bolded (e.g., TABLE 1. Sample collection data…). If genus names are used in the caption, the name must be spelled out in full at least once. Tables must be constructed using a table editor with defined cells, rows, and columns; formatting with tabs or spaces is not permitted. Tables must not contain vertical lines. All information that would otherwise be placed in a footnote must be incorporated directly into the caption. All table and figure captions must be listed together at the end of the manuscript file.
Figures
Figures must be submitted as individual, high-resolution files. As the journal is exclusively published online, the use of color figures is encouraged; however, black-and-white (grayscale) figures are also accepted. Image files must be in RGB color mode with a minimum resolution of 300 DPI and must be sized to fit either the full-page width (17.5 cm) or a single column (8.5 cm). Vector-based graphics, such as diagrams, cladograms, drawings, and maps, should be saved in SVG or EPS format. Raster images, such as photographs, should be saved in TIFF or JPEG format. All text within figures must be legible and of a font size that remains clear when reduced to the specified dimensions.
Figures must be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals according to their order of citation in the text. In-text citations should use the formats: Fig. 1, Figs. 1–2, Fig. 1A, or Figs. 1A–B. The desired insertion point for each figure must be indicated in uppercase letters along the right margin of the text, as follows: FIGURE 1. Use an en-dash for numerical ranges.
Figure captions must be self-explanatory and conclude with a period. The word “FIGURE” and the period following its numeral must be bolded (e.g., FIGURE 1. Morphological characteristics…). If genus names are used, they must be spelled out in full at least once. Do not use symbols (e.g., *, †) in the caption; instead, describe the symbol (e.g., “black triangle”) or incorporate an explanatory legend within the figure itself. Subsection labels within figures (e.g., A, B, C) must be in uppercase, and should not be followed by parentheses. When citing figures from other publications, abbreviate but do not capitalize any letter of the term “figure” (e.g., fig. 1). All illustrations must include a scale bar, and the scale or size of the subject must be referenced in the caption. All table and figure captions must be listed together at the end of the manuscript file.
Supplementary Files
Supplementary materials, including appendices, videos, datasets, additional tables and figures, and other complementary information, must be uploaded as separate supplementary files. These files should be provided in an editable format whenever possible. Videos must be submitted in MP4 format. Supplementary tables and figures must adhere to the same formatting standards as those intended for the main article (see preceding sections). Supplementary files must be numbered consecutively in the order of their citation, using a single Arabic numeral sequence across all file types. The caption for each file must begin with the appropriate descriptor in the following format: FIGURE S1, TABLE S2, VIDEO S3, APPENDIX S4, etc. Within the main text, these files must be cited using their respective descriptors in boldface (e.g., (Fig. S1), (Tab. S2), (Video S3), or simply (S1), (S2)). All supplementary file captions must be compiled in a dedicated section at the end of the manuscript. For oversized spreadsheet files, the journal will perform compression and host the data, providing a stable link for readers within the published article’s supplementary materials section.
Example 1. S1. Video of variation of tides…
Example 2. TABLE S2. Spreadsheet with catalog numbers of all voucher specimens collected in…
Example 3. FIGURE S3. Donut chart representing the number of species…
Example 4. TABLE S4. List of species…
Other Details
Originality and Preprint Policy: Submitted manuscripts must represent original work and may not have been published previously or be under concurrent consideration for publication elsewhere. An exception is made for deposition on recognized preprint servers, such as bioRxiv or SciELO Preprints. In such cases, authors must explicitly disclose the preprint publication in the Cover Letter, providing the relevant identifier and link. Upon acceptance of a manuscript by Neotropical Ichthyology, authors are obligated to update the preprint version to the final accepted manuscript, establish a link from the preprint to the formally published article, and add a notification on the preprint server stating that the article has been published in Neotropical Ichthyology.
Language: Manuscripts must be submitted in English. Authors should employ formal, scientific prose and avoid clichés, colloquialisms, and informal expressions (e.g., “In the present study,”, or “a lot of”). Scientific names must not be used as adjectives (e.g., use “populations of Astyanax” instead of “Astyanax populations”). For authors who are not native English speakers, it is strongly recommended to employ professional language editing and copyediting services or to have the manuscript reviewed by a fluent or native English-speaking colleague prior to submission. AI-assisted tools may also be used to correct grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.
Neotropical Ichthyology has arranged discounts with the following editing services: https://www.aje.com/c/SBI10, https://www.enago.com.br/forjournal/ CODE:PESQUISA, https://www.stta.com.br/).
Voucher specimens: Voucher specimens, available for study and verification by contemporary and future researchers, promote reproducibility in the scientific method by providing permanent records that document identification, distribution, and both interspecific and intraspecific variation of species. For this reason, studies involving sampling or removal of organisms from natural populations must indicate the depository and catalog numbers or other identifier of voucher specimens. A list of catalog numbers of voucher specimens must be provided in all manuscripts in the main text, in a table, or as a supplement file. Even if your study is purely ecological and does not include a taxonomic revision, it is essential to cite voucher specimens that can be verified by future researchers. If all the specimens you studied have been discarded, you may cite a voucher specimen from a fish collection that belongs to the same species you studied, preferably one collected from the same area where your specimens were sampled.
Genetic sequences: Authors must deposit genetic sequence data used for phylogenetic or other analyses in a public online depositary (e.g., GenBank, BoldSystem), and include a Table in the main text or as a supplement file with the following information: museum acronym, catalog number, specimens identification number; online depository name; depository accession number (it is appropriate to use “pending” prior to acceptance of a manuscript, but following acceptance of a manuscript, these numbers must be made available as a condition for final publication); the marker gene/locus (e.g., COX1, CytB, RAG2).
Nomenclature: Scientific names must adhere to the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). Taxonomic authorities should appear only when nomenclatural issues or ambiguity are involved. When citing species authorship, the author and year are integral components of the species name and must not be separated from it by a comma or other punctuation. The use of parentheses must conform to ICZN rules regarding changes from the original generic combination. For taxonomic works, it is acceptable to cite the original description; however, if the primary source was not directly consulted, it is not mandatory to include it in the reference list. The correct spelling, validity, and authorship of all species must be verified using the Catalog of Fishes (http://research.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp).
The genus name must be spelled in full upon its first mention in the abstract, main text, and in each figure and table caption. Subsequently, the genus name may be abbreviated to its initial capital letter, except in the beginning of the sentence, followed by a period and the full specific epithet (e.g., H. aff. malabaricus), provided this abbreviation cannot be confused with another genus cited in the manuscript. If ambiguity is possible (e.g., Hypostomus and Hisonotus), the abbreviation should include sufficient letters to differentiate the genera (e.g., Hyp., His.).
Personal communication: Citations of personal communications are restricted to the main text and must not be included in the reference list. The citation must provide the full name of the source (first name, family name, and middle initials if applicable) and the year of communication. Authors are strongly advised to obtain explicit permission from the source prior to citing a personal communication.
Example: The sample site had scarce riparian vegetation (Carlos A. R. Silva, 2018, pers. comm.).
Personal observations: Citation of personal observations can be included in the text of your document, in which case the name can be abbreviated.
Example: Dams are barriers for fishes (AAA, 2023, pers. obs.).
Guideline for Taxonomic Publications
Manuscripts that propose new scientific names, redescriptions, or novel classifications must adhere to the following additional instructions. Authors are encouraged to consult recently published taxonomic articles in the journal for detailed examples.
New Taxa. In original descriptions, the designation “new genus,” “new species,” or equivalent rank must follow the new taxon name, preceded by a comma and presented in standard font (neither bold nor italics). The terms “new species” and “new genus” must not be abbreviated. When multiple taxa are (re)described, they should be presented in alphabetical order. For large taxonomic revisions, provide in the beginning of the Results a table listing all species included in the revision, specifying which are new and which are redescribed.
ZooBank Registration. Prior to submission, all new nomenclatural acts and the publication itself must be registered in ZooBank. The publication (pub) code and relevant nomenclatural act (act) codes must be provided immediately below the new taxon name. A single pub code is required per manuscript, while each new name requires a separate act code linked to that pub code. Redescriptions require only a pub code. The registering author is responsible for updating the status of all registered items in ZooBank.
Taxonomic Account Structure. The Results section must present the taxonomic findings under the subheading “Taxonomic account”, which should be organized with the following subheadings in the specified order: Synonymy; Type-species (for generic accounts only); Type and non-type material (for new species); Diagnosis; Description; Coloration in alcohol (for species); Coloration in life (for species); Sexual dimorphism (optional); Geographical distribution (obligatory for species, optional for genera); Ecological notes (obligatory for species, optional for genera); Conservation status (for species); Etymology (for new taxa); Material examined (for redescriptions); Identification key (for generic accounts). A “Remarks” subheading may be included after the Synonymy, Type and non-type material, and/or Material examined sections if additional explanations are necessary.
Synonymy. Provide a complete synonymy listing all validly published names applied to the taxon, including references from systematic treatments or identification guides that link past and present concepts. The senior synonym is typically the valid name. Invalid names and misidentifications may be included with appropriate annotations. Each entry must include: the original name; author and date; reference and page number; and basic information on the taxon as treated in the cited work. Full references must be listed in the References section. Precede each entry with an m-dash. New synonyms and new combinations must be explicitly indicated, and in boldface (e.g., Megaleporinus, new synonym).
Type-species (for generic accounts only). For new genera, cite the original name of the type-species with its author and year (or “new species”). For previously proposed genera, also include: the nature of the type designation (e.g., original designation, monotypy); if the type-species was not designated originally, cite the author, year, and page of the subsequent designation (e.g., Type by subsequent designation by Jordan, 1919:45).
Type and Non-type Material (for species accounts only). For new species, list type specimens separately from other examined material. Clearly indicate cleared and stained (c&s) specimens and the availability of genetic sequences in online repositories. For type specimens with commonly sequenced genes (e.g., COI, Cytb), state the museum acronym, lot number, gene/locus, repository name (e.g., GenBank), and accession number, either in the text or a table. Multiple sequences for phylogenetic analyses should be listed in a table or supplementary file. Group paratypes by country or basin, then by museum acronym and catalog number. Collection data must be listed in this order: museum acronym and catalog number; sex if applicable; number of specimens (excluding holotype); number of c&s specimens and specimens used for molecular studies if applicable; size range (use an en-dash); number and size range of measured specimens if different (in parentheses); locality (country, state, municipality, specific locality, basin, coordinates); collection date [dd Mmm yyyy]; collectors’ names separated by an ampersand (&). Holotypes must be deposited in a collection within the species’ country of origin; for widely distributed species, the holotype must be deposited in the country of the type-locality.
Diagnosis. The diagnosis must be a paragraph of full sentences listing the most important traits for unequivocal identification. Ideally, it should include autapomorphic characters. If none exist, provide a differential diagnosis with explicit comparisons to related taxa using “vs.” to state alternative character states. Avoid diagnoses based solely on a combination of non-unique characters. Cite the original descriptions of any species mentioned in the diagnosis for which no comparative material was examined. Avoid telegraphic style.
Description. The description must be written in telegraphic style (omitting verbs and articles). Refer to bilaterally paired structures in the singular (e.g., “pectoral fin long”). Use hyphens in compound adjectives (e.g., “pectoral-fin spine”). Report fin-ray counts with unbranched rays in lower-case Roman numerals, spines in upper-case Roman numerals, and branched rays in Arabic numerals, separated by commas (e.g., ii,7). Do not use spaces between numerals and the percent symbol (e.g., 25%).
Coloration. This section must be written in telegraphic style, and may be divided into “Coloration in alcohol” and “Coloration in life”, if information of life specimens is available.
Geographical distribution. In English, capitalize geographic names (e.g., Amazon River). In Portuguese or Spanish sections, do not capitalize (e.g., rio Amazonas). Capitalize proper nouns for municipalities or geopolitical regions (e.g., state of Rio Grande do Sul). Do not translate geographic descriptors.
Conservation status. For new or redescribed species, provide a conservation status assessment based on IUCN criteria.
Etymology (for new taxa). State the gender of the new name. When the name is an eponym (honoring a person), use “A noun in the genitive case.” For other types of dedications or references, use “A noun in apposition.”. Do not provide an etymology for preexisting names unless necessary to justify spelling; in such cases, include this in the “Remarks” section.
Material examined. List only the taxon, museum acronym, catalog number, number of specimens, and size range. Designate types with, for example “holotype of Genus species Author, date”. Arrange lots taxonomically, then by country or basin (in bold), and finally in alphanumeric order by museum acronym and catalog number. Material of non-focal species should be listed under “Comparative material examined”, following the same arrangement rules.
Please, for further information contact Dr. José Birindelli, our Editor-in-Chief at neoichth@nupelia.uem.br.
All the content of the journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons License
Postal address
Neotropical Ichthyology, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura, Universidade Estadual de Maringá.
Av. Colombo, 5790, 87020-900 Maringá, PR, Brazil
Phone number
+55 44-3011-4632
