1. Freshwater ecosystems represent less than 0.01% of Earth's surface water but proportionately encompass the most species‐rich environment on the planet, including nearly one‐third of all vertebrate species. Even though inland continental waters are widely regarded as highly endangered ecosystems, their species assemblages are mostly ignored in conservation plans, largely because spatial patterns of freshwater species remain poorly understood. This is particularly severe throughout the Neotropics, most notably in the Amazon superbasin, where the sheer biotic diversity is coupled with a severe lack of biodiversity knowledge at several levels.
2. Spatial patterns of Neotropical freshwater fishes focusing mainly on the Amazon superbasin were investigated. First, Endemic Amazonian Fish Areas (EAFAs) representing central units for the conservation of continental fishes were delimited. Interpolated maps were then analysed using alternative methodologies to delimit spatial patterns of diversity and endemicity across the Amazon superbasin. Several biogeographical analyses used a comprehensive dataset of species and geographical coordinates of Amazonian fishes.
3. The results reveal well‐defined spatial patterns of species richness and endemicity in the Amazonian fish fauna, showing that most protected areas are concentrated in a single bioregion (Amazon lowlands). Those areas are incongruent and insufficient to protect endemic and threatened species, which are mostly distributed in upland regions.
4. Effective conservation of the Amazonian fish fauna should include EAFAs within protected areas, especially those undergoing deforestation and hydropower development pressure and containing a high concentration of threatened species.
5. The following EAFAs should be considered as conservation priorities: Upper Araguaia, Upper Tocantins, Lower Teles Pires/Serra do Cachimbo, Chapada dos Parecis and Upper Marañon. These regions should be urgently protected to avert the loss of important trophic relationships and unique elements of the Amazonian fish fauna.

中文翻译：

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现有的保护区为受威胁的亚马逊鱼类提供了较差的安全网

1. 淡水生态系统占地球地表水的比例不到0.01％，但按比例涵盖了地球上物种最丰富的环境，包括所有脊椎动物物种的近三分之一。尽管内陆大陆水域被广泛认为是高度濒危的生态系统，但在保护计划中却大多忽略了它们的物种组成，主要是因为对淡水物种的空间格局仍然知之甚少。这在整个新热带地区尤为严重，最明显的是在亚马逊超级盆地，那里纯粹的生物多样性加上严重缺乏几个层次的生物多样性知识。
2. 研究了以亚马孙超级流域为重点的新热带淡水鱼的空间格局。首先，划定了代表保护大陆鱼类的中央单位的地方亚马逊流域鱼区（EAFA）。然后使用替代方法来分析内插地图，以划定整个亚马逊超级盆地的多样性和地方性的空间格局。一些生物地理分析使用了亚马逊河鱼类物种和地理坐标的综合数据集。
3. 结果揭示了亚马逊河流域鱼类物种丰富度和特有度的明确空间格局，表明大多数保护区都集中在单个生物区域（亚马逊低地）。这些地区没有统一之处，不足以保护地方性和受威胁物种，这些物种大多分布在高地地区。
4. 有效保护亚马逊河鱼类区系的措施应包括保护区内的EAFA，尤其是那些遭受森林砍伐和水电开发压力且含有大量受威胁物种的动物。
5. 应将以下EAFAs作为保护重点：上阿拉瓜，上Tocantins，Teles Pires / Cachimbo塞拉山，Chapada dos Parecis和上Marañon。这些地区应得到紧急保护，以免丧失重要的营养关系和亚马孙鱼类区系的独特元素。