LAS CIéNAGAS COMO HáBITAT PARA LOS PECES: ESTUDIO DE CASO EN LA CIéNAGA DE AYAPEL (CóRDOBA), COLOMBIA

shallow lakes of tropical fluvial floodplain systems are suitable habitats that provide food and shelter for fish, especially during periods of early development stages. due to the strong influence of the flood pulse on these environments, there are critical periods (i.e., severe drought) to the fish fauna. by analysing the food and shelter supply for fish fauna, the condition factor k and the reproductive activity (rgs) of several fish species in the assemblage in the ayapel floodplain lake (córdoba), colombia, in different hydrologic periods of the years 2004 and 2005, we found that body condition and reproduction of fishes were associated with food supply and habitat in the ayapel floodplain lake. and these in turn were determined by the change in the volume of water stored in the lake.