Journal Article
Discovery of two new Astyanax cavefish localities leads to further understanding of the species biogeography
Espinasa, L., Ornelas-García, C.P., Legendre, L., Rétaux, S., Best, A., Gamboa-Miranda, R., Espinosa-Pérez, H. and Sprouse, P.
Record Number:
4878
Year:
2020
Journal:
Diversity
Volume:
12, 368
Abstract:
Abstract: The Astyanax species complex has two morphs: a blind, depigmented morph which inhabits
caves in México and an eyed, pigmented surface-dwelling morph. The eyed morph can also be found
in a few caves, sometimes hybridizing with the cave morph. This species complex has arguably
become the most prominent model system among cave organisms for the study of evolutionary
development and genomics. Before this study, 32 caves were known to be inhabited by the cave
morph, 30 of them within the El Abra region. The purpose of this study was to conduct new surveys
of the area and to assess some unconfirmed reports of caves presumably inhabited by troglomorphic
fish. We describe two new localities, Sótano del Toro #2 and Sótano de La Calera. These two caves
comprise a single hydrologic system together with the previously described cave of Sótano del Toro.
The system is inhabited by a mixed population of troglomorphic, epigeomorphic, and presumably
hybrid fish. Furthermore, Astyanax cavefish and the mysid shrimp Spelaeomysis quinterensis show
a phylogeographic convergence that supports the notion that the central Sierra de El Abra is a
biogeographical region that has influenced the evolutionary history of its aquatic community across
species. The presumptive location of the boundaries of this biogeographical region are identified.
Keywords: Astyanax; Spelaeomysis; Troglomexicanus; Speocirolana; Toro cave; Sierra de El Abra;
troglomorphy; troglobite; stygobite
Times Cited:
1
Relevent Species: