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The Neotropic region has high fish diversity associated with freshwater habitats. However, for Maranhão state, most publications on the ichthyofauna concentrate on coastal or estuarine ecosystems. In this study, species of fish were sampled in lentic and lotic habitats in Cerrado areas (Cerradão phytophysiognomy) and in restinga areas (Atlantic Forest phytophysiognomy) in northeastern Maranhão state between January and July 2010. Thirteen species from 10 families and 6 orders were captured. Species richness was highest for the orders Characiformes and Gymnotiformes. Our results are the first records of the ichthyofauna of coastal drainage areas of northeastern Maranhão state, contributing to the understanding of the biodiversity of the Munim and Parnaíba River basins, and suggest the existence of a community that shares elements with those of the Amazon and Caatinga biomes.

This note reports the first record of Hypsiboas geographicus and Physalaemus centralis for coastal ecosystems “restinga environments” in the Maranhão state, Brazil. These records expand the geographic distribution of these species for restinga environments and contribute to the knowledge of anurofauna of Maranhão state.

We report two new records of anurans in the northeastern region of the state of Maranhão, Brazil. The records extend the distribution of Hypsiboas boans (Linnaeus, 1758) outside the Amazon basin, and represent the first record of Leptodactylus syphax Bokermann, 1969 for the state of Maranhão.

In this study, we present the first record of Ateuchus semicribratus, Canthon simulans, Canthon histrio, Dichotomius carinatus, Eurysternus caribaeus, Eurysternus nigrovirens, and Ontherus sulcator (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) for the state of Maranhão, Brazil. These records expand the currently known geographical distribution of these species and contribute to the knowledge of dung beetles in northeastern Brazil.

In this study, we present the first record of Rhinella ocellata (Günther, 1858) for the state of Maranhão and for coastal ecosystems “restinga environments” in Brazil. This note also expands the known geographic distribution of this species by approximately 895 km to the north from the closest record located in the Parque Estadual do Jalapão (10°32′59″ S, 46°45′38″ W), state of Tocantins, contributing to the knowledge of the anurofauna in the state of Maranhão.