Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5343 No. 2: 7 Sept. 2023
Type: Article
Published: 2023-09-07
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5343.2.3
Page range: 151-172
Abstract views: 481
PDF downloaded: 243

Incipient speciation in allopatric Etheostoma rupestre (Percidae: Etheostomatinae) lineages, with the description of three new subspecies

Fish Biodiversity Lab; School of Fisheries; Aquaculture; and Aquatic Sciences; Auburn University; Auburn; AL; 36849; USA
Department of Biology; University of West Florida; 11000 University Parkway; Bldg. 58; Office 60; Pensacola; FL 32514; USA
Fish Biodiversity Lab; School of Fisheries; Aquaculture; and Aquatic Sciences; Auburn University; Auburn; AL; 36849; USA
Pisces species concepts Mobile Basin endemism Rock Darter intraspecific diversity

Abstract

In recent years, new species descriptions for the North American darters have proliferated. Most species concepts accepted by contemporary ichthyologists require that a valid species be both monophyletic and diagnoseable, yet many lineages exhibit modal or range differences in morphological characteristics without individuals being diagnosable. Such scenarios present difficulties with regards to proper taxonomic recognition of divergent lineages and often prohibit appropriate conservation action. Following the example of recent authors, we provide meristic, geometric morphometric, and pigmentation data to support the recognition of three subspecies of Etheostoma rupestre, a species endemic to the Mobile Basin. These morphological data cohere with previous genetic work for E. rupestre. The nominate subspecies Etheostoma rupetsre rupestre (Tsai’s Rock Darter) is endemic to the Tombigbee River and Black Warrior River watersheds in Alabama and Mississippi and is characterized by having lower numbers of lateral blotches, lower range and mean of lateral line scales, lower modal number of scales above the lateral line, and lower degrees of nape squamation than other subspecies. Etheostoma rupestre piersoni (Shamrock Darter), ssp. nov., is endemic to the Cahaba and Alabama River Watersheds in Alabama and is characterized by intermediate counts of lateral blotches and higher scale counts and nape squamation than E. r. rupestre. Etheostoma rupestre uphapeense (Jade Darter), ssp. nov., is restricted to several small, disjunct populations in the Coosa and Tallapoosa watersheds in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. Etheostoma r. uphapeense is characterized by having a higher mean number of lateral blotches than both other subspecies and higher scale counts than E. r. rupestre. While E. r. rupestre and E. r. piersoni are widespread and abundant within their respective ranges, E. r. uphapeense has a disjunct range and is often uncommon where it occurs. Etheostoma r. uphapeense should be monitored where it occurs to discern population trends.

 

References

  1. Bailey, R.M. & Richards, W.J. (1963) Status of Poecilichthys hopkinsi Fowler and Etheostoma trisella, new species, percid fishes from Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, 630, 1–21.
  2. Baker, W.H., Blanton, R.E. & Johnston, C.E. (2013) Diversity within the Redeye Bass Micropterus coosae (Perciformes: Centrarchidae) species group, with descriptions of four new species. Zootaxa, 3635 (4), 379­–401. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3635.4.3
  3. Blanton, R.E. & Jenkins, R.E. (2008) Three new Darter species of the Etheostoma percnurum complex (Percidae, subgenus Catonotus) from the Tennessee and Cumberland river drainages. Zootaxa, 1963 (24), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1963.1.1
  4. Blanton, R.E. & Schuster, G.A. (2008) Taxonomic status of Etheostoma brevispinum, the Carolina Fantail Darter (Percidae: Catonotus). Copeia, 2008 (4), 844–857. https://doi.org/10.1643/CI-07-191
  5. Boschung, H.T. & Mayden, R.L. (2004) Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Books, Washington, D.C., 736 pp.
  6. Bright, W. (2004) Native American Placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma, 608 pp.
  7. Burr, B.M. (1979) Systematics and life history of the percid fish Etheostoma blennius with description of a new subspecies from Sequatchie River, Tennessee. Copeia, 1979 (2), 191–203. https://doi.org/10.2307/1443403
  8. Craig, J.M., Crampton, W.G.R. & Albert, J.S. (2017) Revision of the polytypic electric fish Gymnotus carapo (Gymnotiformes, Teleostei), with descriptions of seven subspecies. Zootaxa, 4318 (3), 401–438. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4318.3.1
  9. Egge, J.D.D. & Simons, A.M. (2006) The challenge of truly cryptic diversity: diagnosis and description of a new madtom catfish. Zoologica Scripta, 35 (6), 581–595. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.2006.00247.x
  10. Ghiselin, M.T. (2002) Species concepts: the basis for controversy and reconciliation. Fish and Fisheries, 3, 151–160. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1467-2979.2002.00084.x
  11. Gilbert, C.H. (1887) Descriptions of new and little known Etheostomoids. Proceedings of the United States Museum, 10, 47–64.
  12. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.10-607.47
  13. Hubbs, C.L. & Lagler, K. (1958) Fishes of the Great Lakes Region. Bulletin of the Cranbook Institute of Science, 26, 1–186.
  14. Isaac, N.J.B., Mallet, J.M. & Mace, G.M. (2004) Taxonomic inflation: its influence on macroecology and conservation. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 19 (9), 464–469.
  15. Janosik, A.M, Whitaker, J.M. & Johnston, C.E. (2023) Phylogeography and population structure of the Rock Darter species complex, Etheostoma rupestre (Teleostomi: Percidae) across the Mobile River Basin. Hydrobiologia, 850, 761–773.
  16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-022-05122-1
  17. Joachim, R.D., Guill, J.M. & Heins, D.C. (2003) Female Reproductive Life-history Traits of the Rock Darter, Etheostoma rupestre, from Flat Creek, Alabama. American Midland Naturalist, 150 (2), 268–274. https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031(2003)150[0268:FRLTOT]2.0.CO;2
  18. Karl, S.A. & Bowen, B.W. (1999) Evolutionary significant units versus geopolitical taxonomy: molecular systematics of an endangered sea turtle (genus Chelonia). Conservation Biology, 13 (5), 990–999. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1739.1999.97352.x
  19. Keck, B.P. & Near, T.J. (2013). A new species of Nothonotus Darter (Teleostei: Percidae) from the Caney Fork in Tennessee, USA. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 54 (1), 3–21. https://doi.org/10.3374/014.054.0101
  20. Kozal, L.C., Simmons, J.W., Mollish, J.M., MacGuigan, D.J., Benavides, E., Keck, B.P. & Near, T.J. (2017) Phylogenetic and morphological diversity of the Etheostoma zonistium species complex with the description of a new species endemic to the Cumberland Plateau of Alabama. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 58 (2), 263–286. https://doi.org/10.3374/014.058.0202
  21. Kuehne, R.A. & Barbour, R.W. (1983) The American Darters. The University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 176 pp.
  22. Sabaj, M.H. (2020) Codes for Natural History Collections in Ichthyology and Herpetology. Copeia, 108 (3), 593–669. https://doi.org/10.1643/ASIHCODONS2020
  23. MacGuigan, D.J., Orr, D.O. & Near, T.J. (2023) Phylogeography, hybridization, and species discovery in the Etheostoma nigrum complex (Percidae: Etheostoma: Boleosoma). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 178 (2023), e107645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107645
  24. Matthews, W.J. & Turner, T.F. (2019) Redescription and Recognition of Etheostoma cyanorum from the Blue River, Oklahoma. Copeia, 107 (2), 208–218. https://doi.org/10.1643/CI-18-054
  25. Moyle, P.B. & Campbell, M.A. (2022) Cryptic species of freshwater sculpin (Cottidae: Cottus) in California, USA. Zootaxa, 5154 (5), 501–527. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5154.5.1
  26. Moyle, P.B., Buckmaster, N. & Su, Y. (2023) Taxonomy of the Speckled Dace complex (Cypriniformes: Leucisicidae, Rhinichthys) in California, USA. Zootaxa, 5249 (5), 501–539. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5249.5.1
  27. Mussmann, S.M, Douglas, M.R., Oakey, D.D. & Douglas, M.E. (2020) Defining relictual biodiversity: Conservation units in speckled dace (Leuciscidae: Rhinichthys osculus) of the Greater Death Valley ecosystem. Ecology and Evolution, 2020 (10), 10798–10817. https:doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6736
  28. Near, T.J., Bossu, C.M., Bradburd, G.S., Carlson, R.L., Harrington, R.C., Hollingsworth, P.R., Jr, Keck, B.P. & Etnier, D.A. (2011) Phylogeny and temporal diversification of darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae). Systematic Biology, 60 (5), 565–595. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syr052
  29. Near, T.J., MacGuigan, D.J., Boring, E.L., Simmons, J.W., Albanese, B.W., Keck, B.P., Harrington, R.C. & Dinkins, G.R. (2021) A New Species of Bridled Darter Endemic to the Etowah River System in Georgia (Percidae: Etheostomatinae: Percina). Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 62 (1), 15–42. https://doi.org/10.3374/014.062.0102
  30. Near, T.J., Simmons, J.W., Mollish, J.M., Correa, M.A., Benavides, E., Harrington, R.C. & Keck, B.P. (2017) A new species of logperch endemic to Tennessee (Percidae: Etheostomatinae: Percina). Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 58 (2), 287–309. https://doi.org/10.3374/014.058.0203
  31. Near, T.J., Simmons, J.W., Strange, R.M., Brandt, S., Thomas, M.R., Harrington, R.C. & MacGuigan, D.J. (2023) Systematics of the Stripetail Darter, Etheostoma kennicotti (Putnam), and the distinctiveness of the upper Cumberland endemic Etheostoma cumberlandicum Jordan and Swain. Ichthyology and Herpetology, 111 (2), 204–221. https://doi.org/10.1643/i2021053
  32. Near, T.J. & Thomas, M.R. (2015) A new barcheek darter species from Buck Creek (Cumberland River System), Kentucky (Percidae: Etheostomatinae: Catonotus: Oopareia). Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 56 (2), 127–146. https://doi.org/10.3374/014.056.0202
  33. Page, L.M. (1983) The Handbook of Darters. TFH Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey, 271 pp.
  34. Patten, M.A. (2015) Subspecies and the philosophy of science. The Auk, 132, 481–485. https://doi.org/10.1642/AUK-15-1.1
  35. Piller, K.R. & Bart, H.L. (2017) Rediagnosis of the Tuckaseegee Darter, Etheostoma gutselli (Hildebrand), a Blue Ridge endemic. Copeia, 105 (3), 569–574. https://doi.org/10.1643/CI-17-578
  36. Piller, K.R., Bart, H.L. & Hurley, D.L. (2008) Phylogeography of the Greenside Darter complex, Etheostoma blennioides (Teleostomi: Percidae): A wide-ranging polytypic taxon. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 46, 974–985. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2007.11.023
  37. Powers, S.L. & Mayden, R.L. (2007) Systematics, evolution, and biogeography of the Etheostoma simoterum species complex (Percidae: Subgenus Ulocentra). Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural History, 25, 1–23.
  38. Sterling, K.A. & Warren, M.L. Jr. (2020) Description of a new species of cryptic snubnose darter (Percidae: Etheostomatinae) endemic to north-central Mississippi. PeerJ, 8, e9807. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9807
  39. Tsai, C. (1968) Variation and distribution of the Rock darter, Etheostoma rupestre. Copeia, 1968 (2), 346–353. https://doi.org/10.2307/1441763
  40. Williams, J.D., Neely, D.A., Walsh, S.J. & Burkhead, N.M. (2007) Three new percid fishes (Percidae: Percina) from the Mobile Basin drainage of Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. Zootaxa, 1549 (1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1549.1.1