Six new species of Trichomycterus from south-eastern Brazil

[lfinley58]

Wilson J. E. M. Costa & Axel M. Katz. 2021. Integrative taxonomy supports high species diversity of south-eastern Brazilian mountain catfishes of the T. reinhardti group (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae). Systematics and Biodiversity. Published online April 9, 2021 (Not assigned to an issue as of today): 21 pages.

Abstract:
The mountain area between the Mantiqueira and Espinhaço ranges of south-eastern Brazil is of special interest for biologists by sheltering headwaters of two of the largest South American river basins, as well as comprising sections of two main world biodiversity hotspots. Mineral exploitation activities have caused great environmental impact, but biological inventories have demonstrated a rich biota with some organisms still poorly known. We herein analyse catfishes of the Trichomycterus reinhardti species group, endemic to this area. With the objective of inferring species limits, we combine morphological variation to unilocus coalescent methods of species delimitation using fragments of the mitochondrial genome (total of 1924 bp) for 38 individuals collected in 14 sites. The phylogenetic analysis supported a clade endemic to the Rio São Francisco basin and neighbouring Rio Doce headwaters, Espinhaço mountain range, and another one, endemic to the Rio Grande drainage, Rio Paraná basin, between Mantiqueira and Canastra mountain ranges. This biogeographic pattern may be explained by geological evidence indicating that the upper Rio Grande drainage was connected to the upper Rio São Francisco basin until the Middle Miocene, instead of being part of the Rio Paraná basin as today. The integrative analysis supported a total of 10 species, six of which are new and here described. Interestingly, the small areas inhabited by species here delimited are highly coincident with the distribution range of other mountain fish species. High level of local species endemism is possibly related to the uncommon regional relief, with small subdrainages crossed by transversal hills as a result of geological gaps, supporting a complex palaeogeographic scenario favouring isolation of taxa in small areas. Under a conservation perspective, these small areas of endemism for mountain fishes deserve special attention due to the process of environmental decline along centuries in the region.

Notes: The six new species are: Trichomycterus anaisae, T. funebris, T. humboldti, T. ingaiensis, T. luetkeni and T. sainthilairei.

The paper is authored by Costa and Katz and one species - T. humboldti - notes them, in that order, as the describers. The remaining five species are credited to Katz and Costa. (I have noted one website that credits all of the species to "Costa & Katz").


https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10. ... ode=tsab20

[bekateen]

New species added to CLOG:

Trichomycterus anaisae

Trichomycterus funebris

Trichomycterus humboldti

Trichomycterus ingaiensis

Trichomycterus luetkeni

Trichomycterus sainthilairei

(I have noted one website that credits all of the species to "Costa & Katz").

Hi Lee,

What website is that? I imagine it's an error if the the paper lists the names in a different order.

Also, do you have access to the full paper? I do not. If you do, would you please share a copy with me?

Thanks,
Eric

[lfinley58]

Hi Eric,

Fast for putting in the new species...good!

The website I mentioned with the incorrect author placement for T. humboldti was the World of Fishes.

When I finish here a copy of the paper will be heading your way. Enjoy!

Lee