中国广西金线鲃属盲鱼一新种及其生境（鲤科，鲃亚科）

2002年8月28日在广西田林县平山乡一洞穴地下河中采到1尾鱼类标本,经鉴定为鲤科鲃亚科金线鲃属鱼类1新种,定名为田林金线鲃Sinocyclocheilus tianlinensis sp.nov．。鉴别特征：眼退化;吻突出,呈鸭嘴状;头后部急剧隆起,形成一向前不分叉的额骨;新鲜标本体半透明。新种与白斑金线鲃S．albeoguttatus、鸭嘴金线鳃S．anatirostris、无眼金线鲃S．anophthalmus和透明金线鲃S．hyalinus较相近,而与其他已知种不同。模式标本保存中国科学院动物研究所。     

我国洞穴鱼类的研究

简介了洞穴生物学研究的历史和现状,指出我国对洞穴生物的研究还处于起步阶段,但对洞穴鱼类研究方面做了一些比较深入的研究工作,特别对洞穴金线鳃属鱼类的研究取得了一定的研究成果。重点对金线鱼巴属鱼类的构造特点、生物学特性、特殊的物种分化过程和地理分布格局进行了介绍。     

洞穴鱼类:概念、多样性及研究进展

洞穴鱼类是淡水鱼类中一个特殊的生态类群,其生活史的自然完成离不开洞穴或地下水环境。洞穴鱼类可分为典型和非典型两种类型,前者具有易辨识的特殊适应性形态结构(如眼消失、身体透明等),后者此类特征不明显。目前世界典型洞穴鱼类共记录有107种,其中鲤形目和鲇形目的种类最多,分别占49.5%和24.3%;在科级水平上以鲤科和爬鳅科最为丰富。东南亚和中南美是洞穴鱼类多样性最高的地区,有着世界上75.0%的典型洞穴鱼类。中国的洞穴鱼类具有物种多样性高、但集中出现在个别类群(如金线鲃属(Sinocyclocheilus)和高原鳅属(Triplophysa))、物种分化强烈、分布范围狭窄、种群数量小等特点。洞穴鱼类学是一门交叉科学,研究涉及系统学、生态学、生理学、保护生物学等众多学科领域,但目前研究仍多围绕演化问题展开。中国洞穴鱼类研究还处于系统分类和区系研究水平,其他有关学科的研究有待开展。     

中国鲃亚科金线鲃属鱼类一新种——黄田金线鲃(鲤形目:鲤科)

该文记述了采自广西贺州市贺江水系——洞穴的鲤科鲃亚科金线鲃属鱼类一新种,命名为黄田金线鲃(Sinocyclocheilus huangtianensis Zhu,Zhu et Lan sp.nov.)。新种眼睛正常,背鳍末根不分枝鳍条柔软,后缘无锯齿,与属内同分布在贺江水系的已知种季氏金线鲃及邻近漓江水系的桂林金线鲃相似,但新种侧线鳞为52～59枚,侧线上鳞17～23,侧线下鳞16～17,围尾柄鳞40～46,鳃耙9～10,眼径为体长的4.3%～5.4%,眼间距为体长的9.2%～9.6%,口宽为体长的6.0%～7.3%,与季氏金线鲃和桂林金线鲃有明显区别。     

中国金线鲃属一新种——季氏金线鲃(鲤形目:鲤科:鲃亚科)

作者于1984年11月在广西富川县境内采到鲤科鲃巴亚科金线鲃属鱼类一新种,命名为季氏金线鲃,新种Sinocyclocheilus jii sp.nov.     

云南石林洞穴金线鲃一新种(鲤形目,鲤科)

2006年4月12日和18日作者于云南省石林县石林镇落水洞(蝙蝠洞)地下伏流(属珠江水系)采集到金线鲃属鱼类标本9尾,经鉴定为1新种.新种被命名为宽角金线鲃Sinocyclocheilus broadihornes sp. nov.;以其头上长有一个骨质角状突和体表裸露,仅存侧线鳞等鉴别特征,与犀角金线鲃S.rhinocerous Li et Tao相近,而明显区别于属内的其余种.但新种头上骨质突起为1个等边三角形状的角与后者的犀角型角不同;新种吻端与两鼻孔间有3个突起,呈品字形分布,后者平滑.     

云南红河水系金线鲃属鱼类一新种——西畴金线鲃

该文记述了采集自云南省文山州西畴县兴街镇干海子(红河水系)一洞穴的鲤科鲃亚科金线鲃属鱼类一新种,命名为西畴金线鲃(Sinocyclocheilus xichouensis Pan,Li,Yang et Chen sp.nov.)。该新种眼睛正常,背鳍末根不分枝,鳍条变粗变硬,后缘3/5具锯齿,与属内分布在邻近南盘江水系的已知种大眼金线鲃(S.macrophthalmus)、圭山金线鲃(S.guishanensis)、狭孔金线鲃(S.angustiporus)、侧条金线鲃(S.lateristritus)、丘北金线鲃(S.qiubeiensis)、滇池金线鲃(S.grahami)、曲靖金线鲃(S.qujingensis)、麻花金线鲃(S.maculatus)、紫色金线鲃(S.purpureus)及疑似红河水系易门金线鲃(S.yimenensis)相似。籍第一鳃弓外侧鳃耙9以下的特征,可与大眼金线鲃相区别;眼间距为体长的8.1%～9.9%,吻须后伸超过眼后缘,口角须后伸超过前鳃盖骨后缘,可与圭山金线鲃相区别;背鳍起点与腹鳍起点相对,体侧沿侧线无黑色横带,可与侧条金线鲃相区别;侧线鳞74～88,侧线上鳞20,侧线下鳞16,可与滇池金线鲃相区别;侧线弯曲,侧线鳞74～88,围尾柄鳞48,可与曲靖金线鲃相区别;背鳍前距为体长的47.1%～53.7%,背鳍基长为体长的12.8%～15.8%,臀鳍前距为体长的66.0%～71.0%,臀鳍长为体长的13.7%～17.1%,胸鳍前距为体长的26.0%～29.5%,尾柄长为体长的19.3%～24.7%,下颌长为体长的4.7%～7.0%,明显区别于易门金线鲃;全身被鳞,具侧线鳞,可与其分布邻近的麻花金线鲃和紫色金线鲃相区别;背鳍前鳞35～39,鳃耙6,眼间距为体长的8.1%～9.9%,可与狭孔金线鲃及丘北金线鲃相区别。     

金线鲃属鱼类一新种(鲤形目:鲤科)

作者于1986年6月在贵州盘县一溶洞的水体中采到金线鲃属鱼类一新种,命名为角金线鲃,新种Sinocyclocheilus angularis sp. nov.。本新种形状怪异,头背缘末端具一朝前的角状突,其内有顶骨突;眼正常;侧线鳞明显;鳔后室发达等特征而易与金线鲃属其他种相区别。     

A NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS SINOCΥCLOCHEILUS (CYPRINIFORMES, CYPRINIDAE) FROM GUANGXI, CHINA

2011年7月,在中国广西隆林县天生桥镇红水河水系一洞穴采集到2尾标本.经鉴定为金线鲃属Sinocyclocheilus 1新种,曲背金线鲃Sinocyclocheilns flexuosdorsalis sp.nov..新种背鳍分支鳍条8根,头背部交界处隆起,具前突状结构,并向下贴近顶骨.吻较长.这些特征可与属内其他种相区别.     

中国广西金线鲃属鱼一新种(鲤形目,鲤科)

2011年7月,在中国广西隆林县天生桥镇红水河水系一洞穴采集到2尾标本。经鉴定为金线鲃属Sinocyclocheilus 1新种,曲背金线鲃Sinocyclocheilus flexuosdorsalis sp.nov.。新种背鳍分支鳍条8根,头背部交界处隆起,具前突状结构,并向下贴近顶骨。吻较长。这些特征可与属内其他种相区别。     

Do cave features affect underground habitat exploitation by non-troglobite species?

Many biospeleological studies focus on organisms that are exclusive inhabitants of the subterranean realm, but organisms that are not obligate cave-dwellers are frequent in caves, and may account for a substantial portion of biomass. Moreover, several taxa that are usually epigeous are regularly found inside caves, but for most of them it is unknown whether they accidentally enter them, or whether they actively select caves for specific environmental features. In this study we analysed the community of non-strict cave-dwelling organisms (amphibians, gastropods, spiders and orthopterans) in 33 caves from Central Italy, to assess how environmental factors determine community structure. Cave features strongly affected the distribution of the taxa considered. The combined effect of cave morphology and microclimate explained nearly 50% of the variation of community structure. Most of community variation occurred along a gradient from deep, dark and humid caves, to dry caves with wider entrances and extended photic areas. Most of species were associated with humid, deep and dark caves. Most of the non-troglobiont amphibians and invertebrates did not occur randomly in caves, but were associated to caves with specific environmental features. Analysing relationships between cave-dwelling species and environmental variables can allow a more ecological and objective classification of cave-dwelling organisms.     

Finding answers in the dark: caves as models in ecology fifty years after Poulson and White

The use of semi‐isolated habitats such as oceanic islands, lakes and mountain summits as model systems has played a crucial role in the development of evolutionary and ecological theory. Soon after the discovery of life in caves, different pioneering authors similarly recognized the great potential of these peculiar habitats as biological model systems. In their 1969 paper in Science, ‘The cave environment’, Poulson and White discussed how caves can be used as natural laboratories in which to study the underlying principles governing the dynamics of more complex environments. Together with other seminal syntheses published at the time, this work contributed to establishing the conceptual foundation for expanding the scope and relevance of cave‐based studies. Fifty years after, the aim of this review is to show why and how caves and other subterranean habitats can be used as eco‐evolutionary laboratories. Recent advances and directions in different areas are provided, encompassing community ecology, trophic‐webs and ecological networks, conservation biology, macroecology and climate change biology. Special emphasis is given to discuss how caves are only part of the extended network of fissures and cracks that permeate most substrates and, thus, their ecological role as habitat islands is critically discussed. Numerous studies have quantified the relative contribution of abiotic, biotic and historical factors in driving species distributions and community turnovers in space and time, from local to regional scales. Conversely, knowledge of macroecological patterns of subterranean organisms at a global scale remains largely elusive, due to major geographical and taxonomical biases. Also, knowledge regarding subterranean trophic webs and the effect of anthropogenic climate change on deep subterranean ecosystems is still limited. In these research fields, the extensive use of novel molecular and statistical tools may hold promise for quickly producing relevant information not accessible hitherto.     

The North American obligate cave fauna: regional patterns

The obligate cave faunas of nine regions of the United States –Florida Lime Sinks, Appalachians, Interior Low Plateaus, Ozarks, Driftless Area,Edwards Aquifer/Balcones Escarpment, Guadalupe Mountains, Black Hills, andMother Lode – are described and compared. The number of aquatic(stygobitic) species ranged from zero (Black Hills) to 82 (Appalachians), andthe number of terrestrial (troglobitic) species ranged from zero (Florida LimeSinks) to 256 (Interior Low Plateau). Even at the level of genus, overlapbetween regions is low. Several predictor variables (karst area, number ofcaves, number of long caves, number of deep caves, distance from the Pleistoceneice margin, distance from the late Cretaceous Sea, and vegetation type – asurrogate for productivity) were assessed using rank order statistics,especially rank order multiple regression with a backward elimination procedure.For both stygobites and troglobites, only number of caves was a significantpredictor. The absence of a karst area effect suggested that the degree of karstdevelopment is better described by the number of caves rather than area ofkarst. There was no evidence that distance to Pleistocene glacial boundaries wasimportant, but there was some support for the importance of distance from late Cretaceous sea margins, a potential source of aquatic subterranean colonists. Finally,there was no indication that surface productivity had an effect on speciesrichness. Analysis was complicated by correlations among predictor variables.     

The distribution of cave twilight‐zone spiders depends on microclimatic features and trophic supply

Caves are not closed systems. Trophic dynamics in these habitats are driven by resource availability, and species that move between cave and outdoor environments may play a major role in resource availability. Spiders are among the most abundant invertebrates in caves; however, very few studies have tested factors hypothesized to affect the distribution of spiders among caves, and it is not known whether the trophic features of caves play a role in determining the occurrence, abundance, or breeding success of spiders. We assessed the distribution of the cave‐dwelling orb‐weaver spider Meta menardi in Italy, in a Mediterranean and in a Pre‐alpine area during summer and winter. We analyzed the relationships between spider distribution and multiple cave features, describing both the abiotic and the biotic environment. Using visual encounter surveys, the detection probability of this species was high, indicating that this technique provides reliable information on spider distribution. In Mediterranean caves, spider presence was more likely in cold and wet caves with abundant dipterans. In Pre‐alpine caves, spider presence was more likely in deep caves with abundant dipterans. Dipteran abundance was the variable best explaining spider distribution when pooling all sampled caves. This study shows that adults of M. menardi do not occur randomly among caves, but select caves with specific features. Prey availability and abiotic features are major determinants of habitat suitability for cave spiders. The strong relationship between spider distribution and prey availability suggests that the distribution of these spiders might be an indicator of the resources available in the twilight zones of caves.     

The biogeochemistry of anchialine caves: progress and possibilities

Recent investigations of anchialine caves and sinkholes have identified complex food webs dependent on detrital and, in some cases, chemosynthetically produced organic matter. Chemosynthetic microbes in anchialine systems obtain energy from reduced compounds produced during organic matter degradation (e.g., sulfide, ammonium, and methane), similar to what occurs in deep ocean cold seeps and mud volcanoes, but distinct from dominant processes operating at hydrothermal vents and sulfurous mineral caves where the primary energy source is mantle derived. This review includes case studies from both anchialine and non-anchialine habitats, where evidence for in situ chemosynthetic production of organic matter and its subsequent transfer to higher trophic level metazoans is documented. The energy sources and pathways identified are synthesized to develop conceptual models for elemental cycles and energy cascades that occur within oligotrophic and eutrophic anchialine caves. Strategies and techniques for testing the hypothesis of chemosynthesis as an active process in anchialine caves are also suggested.     

Phylogeography of Sardinian cave salamanders (genus Hydromantes) is mainly determined by geomorphology

Detecting the factors that determine the interruption of gene flow between populations is key to understanding how speciation occurs. In this context, caves are an excellent system for studying processes of colonization, differentiation and speciation, since they represent discrete geographical units often with known geological histories. Here, we asked whether discontinuous calcareous areas and cave systems represent major barriers to gene flow within and among the five species of Sardinian cave salamanders (genus Hydromantes) and whether intraspecific genetic structure parallels geographic distance within and among caves. We generated mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences from 184 individuals representing 48 populations, and used a Bayesian phylogeographic approach to infer possible areas of cladogenesis for these species and reconstruct historical and current dispersal routes among distinct populations. Our results show deep genetic divergence within and among all Sardinian cave salamander species, which can mostly be attributed to the effects of mountains and discontinuities in major calcareous areas and cave systems acting as barriers to gene flow. While these salamander species can also occur outside caves, our results indicate that there is a very poor dispersal of these species between separate cave systems.     

Phylogenetic evidence for multiple invasions and speciation in caves: the Australian planthopper genus Solonaima (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae)

Abstract. The Australian genus Solonaima comprises thirteen described plus two undescribed species. Six are cavernicolous, obligate or not, and are found in different caves. The phylogeny presented here confirms the monophyly of the genus. This phylogeny was compared with the estimate obtained using the method of Marques and Gnaspini, who recommend coding characters susceptible to parallelism differently from the others. Further comparison was made with a cladogram derived from the matrix from which such characters susceptible to parallelism were withdrawn. Scenarios concerning historical invasions of caves were tested using phylogenetic inference. The most-parsimonious hypothesis proposed four invasions of the caves, within two of which a diversification of species took place.     

Application of molecular genetics and geometric morphometrics to taxonomy and conservation of cave beetles in central Italy

Integration of molecular genetic techniques and geometric morphometrics represent a valuable tool in the resolution of taxonomic uncertainty and the identification of significant units for conservation. We combined mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit II gene sequence data and geometric morphometric analysis to examine taxonomic status and identify units for conservation in four species of the hypogean beetle Duvalius (Coleoptera, Trechinae) using mainly museum specimens collected in central Italy. Previous taxonomic studies based on morphological traits described several subspecies often inhabiting geographically distinct caves. Phylogenetic analysis identified two well supported monophyletic lineages and a number of different clades with relatively small genetic differences, suggesting a short divergence time in line with known geological history of the study area. Geometric morphometrics, on the other hand, recovered a high level of distinctiveness among specimens. Both genetic and morphometric analyses did not entirely corroborate former taxonomic nomenclature, suggesting possible rearrangements and the definition of evolutionary significant units. Beetles of the genus Duvalius are protected by regional laws and the majority of taxa considered in this study inhabit caves located outside protected areas. Our study advocates the importance of devoting protection efforts to networks of cave ecosystems rather than single locations or species.     

Nutrient speciation and hydrography in two anchialine caves in Croatia: tools to understand iodine speciation

Despite iodine being one of the most abundant of the minor elements in oxic seawater, the principal processes controlling its interconversion from iodate to iodide and vice versa, are still either elusive or largely unknown. The two major hypotheses for iodate reduction involve either phytoplankton growth in primary production, or bacteria during regeneration. An earlier study intended to exploit the unusual nature of anchialine environments revealed that iodide is oxidised to iodate in the bottom of such caves, whereas reduction of iodate occurs in the shallower parts of the water column. This investigation was made on the hypothesis that study of the nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient systems within the caves might offer a bridge between the iodine chemistry and the marine bacteria which are assumed to be the agent of change of the iodine in the caves. Accordingly, the hydrography, the nutrient chemistry, and some further iodine studies were made of two anchialine caves on the east coast of the Adriatic Sea in Croatia. Iodate and iodide were determined by differential pulse voltammetry and cathodic stripping square-wave voltammetry, respectively. Total iodine was determined indirectly, as iodate, after oxidation of reduced iodine species with UV irradiation and strong chemical oxidants. Nutrient concentrations were measured by spectrophotometry. Nutrient profiles within the well stratified water columns indicate a relatively short-lived surface source of nitrate and phosphate to the caves, with a more conventional, mid-water, nutrient regeneration system. The latter involves nitrite and ammonium at the bottom of the halocline, suggestive of both autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial activity. High iodate/low iodide deep water, and conservative behaviour of total inorganic iodine were confirmed in both systems. Iodate is reduced to iodide in the hypoxic region where nutrient regeneration occurs. The concentrations of organic iodine were surprisingly high in both systems, generally increasing toward the surface, where it comprised almost 80% of total iodine. As with alkalinity and silica, the results suggest that this refractive iodine component is liberated during dissolution of the surrounding karst rock. A major, natural flushing of one of the caves with fresh water was confirmed, showing that the cave systems offer the opportunity to re-start investigations periodically.     

A new sigillid ostracod from submarine caves of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan

A new troglobitic sigillid genus, Kasella , is found in the submarine caves of the Ryukyu Islands. Sigillids are primitive podocopid ostracods having ancient characters such as unequal valves and many small adductor muscle scars. Kasella is possibly derived from the sigillid Cardobairdia , a deep-sea muddy bottom inhabitant, or its relatives. Submarine caves are characterized as both 'safe places', where biological factors such as competition and predation are reduced, and as 'crypts', representing dark and oligotrophic environments. It is likely that Kasella has successfully colonized hard substrates in caves, particularly exploiting the crevices on cave walls and ceilings. Kasella may have adapted to this cryptic habitat in response to strong cytheroidean competition and predation by, for example, gastropods that do not survive well in dark and oligotrophic submarine caves. In adapting to an oligotrophic cave environment, Kasella has undergone significant divergence in carapace morphology, possibly accompanying functional and behavioural changes.