Gabriel Soares Araujo

@gov.br

Coordenação de Biodiversidade / Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia / Researcher

Gabriel Soares Araujo

EDUCATION

B.Sc. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Biological Sciences, 2010-2015
M.Sc. Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Zoology, 2016-2018
PhD candidate NUPEM, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Environmental Sciences and Conservation, 2019-

RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Animal Science and Zoology, Environmental Science, Genetics
8

Scopus Publications

96

Scholar Citations

5

Scholar h-index

2

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

  • Two new species of the genus Odontoscion (Teleostei: Sciaenidae) from the Western Atlantic Ocean
    TAKUMASA KONDO, VITOR CEZAR PACHECO DA SILVA, ANA LÚCIA BENFATTI GONZALEZ PERONTI
    Zootaxa, 2026
    Two new species of soft scale insect (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) from the Brazilian Cerrado are described and illustrated based on the adult females. A new monotypic genus, Cerradococcus Kondo, Pacheco da Silva & Peronti, gen. nov., is erected to accommodate Cerradococcus gillianwatsonae Kondo, Pacheco da Silva & Peronti, sp. nov., found on leaves of Didymopanax vinosus (Cham. & Schltdl.) Marchal (Araliaceae). In addition, a new species of Philephedra Cockerell, 1898, Philephedra paralutea Kondo & Pacheco da Silva, sp. nov., found on an undetermined host plant, is described. Philephedra zipolitana Gavrilov-Zimin, 2023 is sunk as a junior synonym of Philephedra parvula (Cockerell, 1899), syn. nov. A diagnosis for the genus Philephedra and an updated key to species in the genus are also provided.
  • Integrative taxonomy reveals a new species of the soapfish genus Rypticus (Teleostei: Grammistidae) from the eastern Atlantic Ocean
    Gabriel Soares Araujo, Cláudio L. S. Sampaio, Luiz A. Rocha, Carlos E. L. Ferreira
    Journal of Fish Biology, 2025
    A new species of the soapfish genus Rypticus is described based on 14 specimens from the eastern Atlantic Ocean. The new species was previously misidentified as the greater soapfish, R. saponaceus, due to their similar appearance. However, it differs from R. saponaceus in several key characteristics, including a comparatively shorter head, snout and upper jaw, and a deeper body. Molecular data, obtained from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene, strongly suggest the monophyly of the new species and support its description as new.
  • Biogeography and evolution of reef fishes on tropical Mid-Atlantic Ridge islands
    Isadora Cord, Gabriel S. Araujo, Fernanda C. Silva, Yan R. Kurtz, Claudia R. Rocha, et al.
    Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, 2025
    With their simplified and isolated communities, oceanic islands are considered ‘natural laboratories’ for biogeographic and evolutionary studies. Along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), St Paul’s Rocks, Ascension and St Helena islands are nearly equidistant from South America and Africa. While St Paul’s Rocks is typically associated with the Brazilian Province, Ascension and St Helena are commonly treated as a unified biogeographical entity despite being separated by approximately 1300 km of open ocean. Using an expert-validated, rigorously curated dataset on Atlantic reef fishes, we demonstrate that these three islands constitute a cohesive biogeographic unit, sharing 46 species found nowhere else in the Atlantic. By integrating time-calibrated phylogenies and distributional data, we reconstructed dispersal routes of 88 MAR fishes, revealing predominant western Atlantic origins and a pronounced eastern influence among endemics. Divergence estimates for two Ascension endemics may predate the islands’ emergence, highlighting the potential roles of seamounts and eustatic sea-level changes in shaping biotic persistence and diversification. Trait analysis revealed that MAR fishes are typically larger, occupy wider depth ranges and are more often pelagic spawners and rafters than MAR endemics and their coastal counterparts. Our findings underscore the complex biogeographic and evolutionary processes structuring the reef fish communities of the tropical MAR islands.
  • Evolutionary history, biogeography, and a new species of Sphoeroides (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae): how the major biogeographic barriers of the Atlantic Ocean shaped the evolution of a pufferfish genus
    Gabriel S Araujo, Yan R Kurtz, Ivan Sazima, Pedro Hollanda Carvalho, Sergio R Floeter, et al.
    Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2023
    Tetraodontidae is the most speciose family of Tetraodontiformes and is represented by fish popularly known as pufferfishes. They are characterized by modified jaws with four dental plates and the ability to inflate their bodies. Tetraodontids are distributed throughout the world and have a wide range of habitat use. One of its genera, Sphoeroides, shows a biogeographical pattern, with 19 of its 21 species restricted to coastal regions of the Americas. Although represented in large-scale phylogenies, the evolutionary history and biogeography of the genus have not been explored in detail. The present study aims to understand the historical and biogeographic processes that shaped the evolutionary history of Sphoeroides. Including samples from all biogeographic regions of its occurrence, we reconstruct a phylogenetic/biogeographic history hypothesis for the genus. Our results show that Sphoeroides is a paraphyletic group comprising Colomesus; indicate a central role of the biogeographic barriers of the Atlantic Ocean in the diversification of the genus; and identified a cryptic species in Brazilian waters, formally known as S. spengleri, described here through integrative taxonomy. We also propose nomenclatural changes given the position of Colomesus deeply nested within Sphoeroides.
  • The Amazon-Orinoco Barrier as a driver of reef-fish speciation in the Western Atlantic through time
    Gabriel S. Araujo, Luiz A. Rocha, Naomi S. Lastrucci, Osmar J. Luiz, Fabio Di Dario, et al.
    Journal of Biogeography, 2022
    The Amazon‐Orinoco plume is the major biogeographical barrier between the Great Caribbean and the Brazilian Province. No study has so far addressed the influence of this barrier in a broad chrono‐phylogenetic context. Here, we evaluate the effects of the Amazon‐Orinoco plume barrier on the patterns of diversification of Western Atlantic reef fishes through time.
  • A safe haven for potential reproductive aggregations of the critically endangered Brazilian guitarfish (Pseudobatos horkelii)
    Antônio B. Anderson, Thiago M. J. Fiuza, Gabriel S. Araujo, Angela M. Canterle, Luiza M. C. Canto, et al.
    Journal of Fish Biology, 2021
    Brazilian endemic batoid elasmobranch populations have declined dramatically in the past 40 years due to anthropic activities (e.g., overfishing). The Brazilian guitarfish, Pseudobatos horkelii, included in the IUCN red list of endangered species ("Critically Endangered" (CR)), has been captured as bycatch by trawling fishing boats to the edge of extinction. Despite governmental initiatives of conservation, the species is still caught and commercialized along the Brazilian coast. Herein, we report three rare aggregations events for the Brazilian coast of P. horkelii inside the only nearshore no-entry Brazilian Marine Protected Area and discuss strategies for its protection. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
  • Phylogeny of the comb-tooth blenny genus Scartella (Blenniiformes: Blenniidae) reveals several cryptic lineages and a trans-Atlantic relationship
    G S Araujo, A Vilasboa, M R Britto, G Bernardi, S von der Heyden, et al.
    Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2020
    Here we present the first phylogeny of the genus Scartella based on mitochondrial data. The analysis strongly corroborates the validity of all species of the genus and shows that Scartella cristata, a species with a disjunct distribution, is a lineage complex comprising five clades: two in Caribbean waters, another in the East Atlantic/Mediterranean and two in Brazil. Brazilian clades occur in sympatry from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul states (southern Brazil). One clade (BRA 1) is unique to Brazil, while the other (BRA 2) is closely related to the eastern Atlantic lineage. Possible explanations for this pattern include both natural and anthropic mechanisms.
  • Elacatinus figaro Sazima, Moura & Rosa, 1997 (Gobiiformes: Gobiidae): Distribution extension of a Brazilian endangered endemic reef fish with comments on south-western Atlantic Ocean biogeography
    Daniel Fernando Almeida, Gabriel Soares Araujo, Marcelo R. Britto, Cláudio Luis Santos Sampaio
    Marine Biodiversity Records, 2016

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Two new species of the genus Odontoscion (Teleostei: Sciaenidae) from the Western Atlantic Ocean
    A CARVALHO-FILHO, JL GASPARINI, L DUARTE, J PFLIGER, ...
    Zootaxa 5757 (2), 101-122 , 2026
    2026
  • Integrative taxonomy reveals a new species of the soapfish genus Rypticus (Teleostei: Grammistidae) from the eastern Atlantic Ocean
    GS Araujo, CLS Sampaio, LA Rocha, CEL Ferreira
    Journal of Fish Biology 107 (5), 1543-1552 , 2025
    2025
  • Biogeography and evolution of reef fishes on tropical Mid-Atlantic Ridge islands
    I Cord, GS Araujo, FC Silva, YR Kurtz, CR Rocha, HT Pinheiro, LA Rocha, ...
    Proceedings of the Royal Society B 292 (2051), 20250756 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 5
  • Atlantic reef fishes: distributions and life-history traits
    I Cord, SR Floeter, GS Araujo, JP Quimbayo, DR Robertson, BC Victor, ...
    Zenodo , 2024
    2024
  • Evolutionary history, biogeography, and a new species of Sphoeroides (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae): how the major biogeographic barriers of the Atlantic …
    GS Araujo, YR Kurtz, I Sazima, PH Carvalho, SR Floeter, A Vilasboa, ...
    Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 199 (4), 978-993 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 8
  • The Amazon‐Orinoco Barrier as a driver of reef‐fish speciation in the Western Atlantic through time
    GS Araujo, LA Rocha, NS Lastrucci, OJ Luiz, F Di Dario, SR Floeter
    Journal of Biogeography 49 (8), 1407-1419 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 50
  • A safe haven for potential reproductive aggregations of the critically endangered Brazilian guitarfish ( Pseudobatos horkelii )
    AB Anderson, TMJ Fiuza, GS Araujo, AM Canterle, LMC Canto, ...
    Journal of Fish Biology 99 (6), 2030-2034 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 8
  • Phylogeny of the comb-tooth blenny genus Scartella (Blenniiformes: Blenniidae) reveals several cryptic lineages and a trans-Atlantic relationship
    GS Araujo, A Vilasboa, MR Britto, G Bernardi, S Von der Heyden, A Levy, ...
    Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 190 (1), 54-64 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 23
  • Elacatinus figaro Sazima, Moura & Rosa, 1997 (Gobiiformes: Gobiidae): Distribution extension of a Brazilian endangered endemic reef fish with comments on south …
    DF Almeida, GS Araujo, MR Britto, CLS Sampaio
    Marine Biodiversity Records 9 (1), 59 , 2016
    2016
    Citations: 2

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • The Amazon‐Orinoco Barrier as a driver of reef‐fish speciation in the Western Atlantic through time
    GS Araujo, LA Rocha, NS Lastrucci, OJ Luiz, F Di Dario, SR Floeter
    Journal of Biogeography 49 (8), 1407-1419 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 50
  • Phylogeny of the comb-tooth blenny genus Scartella (Blenniiformes: Blenniidae) reveals several cryptic lineages and a trans-Atlantic relationship
    GS Araujo, A Vilasboa, MR Britto, G Bernardi, S Von der Heyden, A Levy, ...
    Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 190 (1), 54-64 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 23
  • Evolutionary history, biogeography, and a new species of Sphoeroides (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae): how the major biogeographic barriers of the Atlantic …
    GS Araujo, YR Kurtz, I Sazima, PH Carvalho, SR Floeter, A Vilasboa, ...
    Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 199 (4), 978-993 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 8
  • A safe haven for potential reproductive aggregations of the critically endangered Brazilian guitarfish ( Pseudobatos horkelii )
    AB Anderson, TMJ Fiuza, GS Araujo, AM Canterle, LMC Canto, ...
    Journal of Fish Biology 99 (6), 2030-2034 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 8
  • Biogeography and evolution of reef fishes on tropical Mid-Atlantic Ridge islands
    I Cord, GS Araujo, FC Silva, YR Kurtz, CR Rocha, HT Pinheiro, LA Rocha, ...
    Proceedings of the Royal Society B 292 (2051), 20250756 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 5
  • Elacatinus figaro Sazima, Moura & Rosa, 1997 (Gobiiformes: Gobiidae): Distribution extension of a Brazilian endangered endemic reef fish with comments on south …
    DF Almeida, GS Araujo, MR Britto, CLS Sampaio
    Marine Biodiversity Records 9 (1), 59 , 2016
    2016
    Citations: 2
  • Two new species of the genus Odontoscion (Teleostei: Sciaenidae) from the Western Atlantic Ocean
    A CARVALHO-FILHO, JL GASPARINI, L DUARTE, J PFLIGER, ...
    Zootaxa 5757 (2), 101-122 , 2026
    2026
  • Integrative taxonomy reveals a new species of the soapfish genus Rypticus (Teleostei: Grammistidae) from the eastern Atlantic Ocean
    GS Araujo, CLS Sampaio, LA Rocha, CEL Ferreira
    Journal of Fish Biology 107 (5), 1543-1552 , 2025
    2025
  • Atlantic reef fishes: distributions and life-history traits
    I Cord, SR Floeter, GS Araujo, JP Quimbayo, DR Robertson, BC Victor, ...
    Zenodo , 2024
    2024