Elements of fish metacommunity structure in Neotropical freshwater streams

We used a data set formed by 66 streams , composed by a pool of 143 species and richness varying from 1 to 27 species. Stream data entered the database when meet the following criteria : (i) the collection was carried out in a 1st – 3rd order stream; (ii) the stream stretch was georeferenced; (iii) fish sampling was carried out by electric fishing, trawl nets, and/or hand nets; (iv) a minimum of 50-meter stretch was sampled by stream; (v) a single sample site per stream; (vi) there was a stream species list; (vii) environmental variables (turbidity, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, water velocity, stream channel depth and width) were measured in situ at three or more points in each stream; (viii) fish sampling, transport and preservation of sampled specimens were authorized by the Sistema de Autorização e Informação em Biodiversidade (SISBIO), Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Ministerio do Meio Ambiente and (ix) all streams was located in the Cerrado Biome. Constraining the data for streams under the same vegetation condition ensure that the features linked to vegetation type, like substrate and temperature, are not so different decreasing the amount of variability.