Habitat suitability for the Chilean silverside (Basilichthys microlepidotus) in the Mataquito River, located in the Maule Region, was evaluate using geospatial analysis tools. Data were recorded in 2011 (a total of 40 fixed sampling stations) along the Mataquito River, as a result of five limnological surveys (i.e. January, March, June, August and November) in order to characterise the habitat
... [Show full abstract] and estimate the abundance of the Chilean silverside in the river. Preference curves were used to describe the dependence of Chilean silverside on relevant physicochemical, hydromorphological and biological parameters. The habitat suitability model showed that the combination of relevant parameters can more accurately explain the presence of a high habitat suitability index in the middle and lower sections of the river, as well as the lower half of the upper section of the Mataquito River. The habitat suitability model provides a comprehensive overall vision of hydrological–hydraulic, morphodynamic and environmental phenomena that determine the dominant habitat for Chilean silverside in the Mataquito River. Understanding the bioecological aspects of Chilean silverside and the dynamics of the Mataquito River system contributes to the establishment of policies for river resource conservation at the local and regional scales.