Profundulus kreiseri,a new species of Profundulidae (Teleostei,Cyprinodontiformes) from northwestern?Honduras

A new species of Profundulus, Profundulus kreiseri (Cyprinodontiformes: Profundulidae), is described from the Chamelecón and Ulúa Rivers in the northwestern Honduran highlands. Based on a phylogenetic analysis using cytochrome b and the presence of synapomorphic characters (dark humeral spot, a scaled preorbital region and between 32-34 vertebrae), this new species is placed in the subgenus Profundulus, which also includes Profundulus (Profundulus) oaxacae, Profundulus (Profundulus) punctatus and Profundulus (Profundulus) guatemalensis. Profundulus kreiseri can be distinguished from other members of the subgenus Profundulus by having less than half of its caudal fin densely scaled. Profundulus kreiseri can further be differentiated from Profundulus (Profundulus) oaxacae and Profundulus (Profundulus) punctatus by the absence of rows of dark spots on its flanks. The new species can further be differentiated from Profundulus (Profundulus) guatemalensis by the presence of fewer caudal- and pectoral-fin rays. The new species is distinguished from congeners of the profundulid subgenus Tlaloc (viz., Profundulus (Tlaloc) hildebrandi, Profundulus (Tlaloc) labialis, Profundulus (Tlaloc) candalarius and Profundulus (Tlaloc) portillorum) by having a scaled preorbital region and a dark humeral spot. Profundulus kreiseri and Profundulus portillorum are the only two species of Profundulus that are endemic to the region south of the Motagua River drainage in southern Guatemala and northwestern Honduras.     

Comparative analysis of three species populations of Profundulus (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes) using two genetic markers

Background and aims: The fish Family Profundulidae is endemic in south-southeast Mexico, with five known species. The species-level analysis of the genus based on morphological characters is insufficient and complex due to increased phenotypic and intraspecific variation. This variation might be owed to the existence of yet undescribed forms. Materials and methods: In the present study, the genetic composition of three species of the State of Chiapas, Mexico, is compared by examining different populations of the species Profundulus candalarius, Profundulus labialis, and Profundulus punctatus. Results: We identified specimens from 16 localities and sequenced mitochondrial DNA representing partial regions of the cytochrome b and cox1 genes. Conclusion: The results suggest an extreme divergence of the populations of P. labialis from El Sabinal.     

Two new species of Gyrodactylus von Nordmann, 1832 from Profundulus oaxacae (Pisces: Profundulidae) from Oaxaca,Mexico, studied by morphology and molecular analyses

In the present study, two new species of Gyrodactylus are described from Profundulus oaxacae, a fish endemic to the Pacific slope of Oaxaca State, Mexico. Fishes were collected within their distribution range in 5 localities in the Atoyac-Verde River. Gyrodactylus montealbani n. sp. and G. zapoteco n. sp. were erected and characterized morphologically (sclerites of the attachment apparatus and the male copulatory organ) and molecularly (sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacer region of rDNA). The haptoral sclerites of the new species are similar to those of Gyrodactylus iunuri and Gyrodactylus tepari, both recently described from the goodeid fish Goodea atripinnis, from the Mexican States of Jalisco and Querétaro, respectively; and to Gyrodactylus xtachuna described from the poeciliid Poeciliopsis gracilis in Veracruz State, Mexico – nonetheless, these species can all be discriminated based on their marginal hook morphology. Specimens of G. montealbani n. sp. and G. zapoteco n. sp. were sequenced, and were aligned with sequences of 25 other Gyrodactylus spp. Both Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses indicated that the two new species are members of independent, well-supported lineages – these are the first Gyrodactylus species described from Profundulus oaxacae.     

A new species of Ageratina (Asteraceae: Eupatorieae) from northwestern Oaxaca

Fieldwork in connection with the project to document the flora of the Mixteca Alta region, northwestern Oaxaca, Mexico, has resulted in the discovery of a new species, Ageratina pendula.     

Evolution under domestication of correlated traits in two edible columnar cacti in Mexico

Evolutionary Ecology - Stenocereus pruinosus and S. stellatus are columnar cacti from central Mexico, distributed in the Valle de Tehuacán and the Mixteca Baja regions. Both species have...     

Paracreptotrema profundulusi n. sp. and P. blancoi Choudhury, Pérez-Ponce De León, Brooks, and Daverdin, 2006 (Trematoda: Allocreadiidae) from freshwater fishes of the genus Profundulus (Teleostei: Profundulidae) in southern México

Paracreptotrema profundulusi n. sp. (Trematoda: Allocreadiidae) is described from the intestine of the freshwater fishes Profundulus punctatus and P. balsanus (Teleostei: Profundulidae) from the Tehuantepec and the Atoyac-Verde River basins, in Oaxaca, México, in the western extreme of Central America. The new species is distinguished from Paracreptotrema blancoi Choudhury, Pérez-Ponce de León, Brooks, and Daverdin, 2006 , to which it is most similar, and from P. mendezi (Sogandares-Bernal, 1955) Choudhury, Pérez-Ponce de León, Brooks, and Daverdin, 2006 , by the caeca extending beyond the testes, vitelline follicles that invade the postesticular area, and uterus with transverse loops located mainly between the testes and the genital pore. Paracreptotrema blancoi was collected from the same host species and also from Profundulus oaxacae. Here, we provide data that show its broad distribution in several river basins of Neotropical southern México, including the Papagayo River basin, Guerrero, México, and the Atoyac-Verde and Tehuantepec river basins, and other rivers in Oaxaca, México. Freshwater fishes of the Profundulidae are endemic to Central America and host a helminth fauna that includes at least 4 species found only in these hosts.     

Ethnobotany and domestication in Xoconochtli,Stenocereus stellatus (Cactaceae), in the Tehuacán Valley and La Mixteca Baja, México

Ethnobotanical information is presented on use, management, folk nomenclature and classification of the “xoconochtli” (Stenocereus stellatus) as well as on the role of this plant in subsistence of the Nahua, Mixtec and Popoloca peoples from the Tehuacán Valley and La Mixteca Baja in Central Mexico. Among all three groups, S. stellatus was used for various purposes but mainly for its edible fruits. Different variants of this species were distinguished, named and classified by indigenous people according to characteristics of the fruit; particularly size, color and flavor of the pulp, spininess and thickness of the peel. Wild plants characteristically had small red sour fruits with many spines and thick peel, while individuals selected for cultivation usually differed in one or more of these characters. Three general forms of interaction between people and this species were found: 1) gathering of useful products from the wild; 2) management of wild populations in situ which involves the sparing and enhancing of individuals with more desirable characteristics and the removal of others during clearance of the land for agriculture; and 3) cultivation, mainly in home gardens, by propagation of vegetative parts from desirable individuals. Fruit yields per individual and per population were measured and compared in wild, managed in situ and cultivated populations from the Tehuacán Valley and La Mixteca Baja. Wild and cultivated individuals from La Mixteca Baja yielded more than wild and cultivated individuals from the Tehuacán Valley. Within each region, fruit yields were similar in wild and managed in situ populations but significantly larger in cultivated populations. Forms of management of this plant species are discussed in terms of availability of products and demand for them in the local economy.     

Phylogeny of the New World diploid cottons (Gossypium L., Malvaceae) based on sequences of three low-copy nuclear genes

American diploid cottons (Gossypium L., subgenus Houzingenia Fryxell) form a monophyletic group of 13 species distributed mainly in western Mexico, extending into Arizona, Baja California, and with one disjunct species each in the Galapagos Islands and Peru. Prior phylogenetic analyses based on an alcohol dehydrogenase gene (AdhA) and nuclear ribosomal DNA indicated the need for additional data from other molecular markers to resolve phylogenetic relationships within this subgenus. Toward this end, we sequenced three nuclear genes, the anonymous locus A1341, an alcohol dehydrogenase gene (AdhC), and a cellulose synthase gene (CesA1b). Independent and combined analyses resolved clades that are congruent with current taxonomy and previous phylogenies. Our analyses diagnose at least two long distance dispersal events from the Mexican mainland to Baja California, following a rapid radiation of the primary lineages early in the diversification of the subgenus. Molecular data support the proposed recognition of a new species closely related to Gossypium laxum that was recently collected in Mexico.     

A new species of Profundulus (Cyprinodontiformes: Profundulidae) from the Honduran central highlands

A new species of Profundulus, Profundulus portillorum, from the Honduran central highlands is described. Profundulus portillorum belongs to the Profundulus labialis species group and is distinct from the Profundulus punctatus species group in that it lacks a humeral spot and less than half of the caudal fin is scaled. Within the P. labialis species group, P. portillorum has a more slender body, smaller eye, fewer anal rays, caudal rays and lateral‐line scales than other species. Forty‐one specimens were collected around emergent vegetation in the margins of two small (2–5 m in width, 20–40 cm in depth), high‐elevation (1300 m) tributaries of the Río Calam within the Río Ulúa drainage. These specimens represent the easternmost collection of any Profundulus and the first collection of any member of the P. labialis species group from Honduras.     

A new species of laelapine mite (Acari: Parasitiformes: Laelapidae) associated with Proechimys dimidiatus in the Atlantic forests of Brazil

Tur megistoproctus, a new species of Laelapinae, is described from the pelage of the echimyid rodent Proechimys dimidiatus from the Atlantic forests of Ilha Grande, south of Rio de Janeiro. Measurements and illustrations are included for females and males. Another laelapine mite species, Tur turki Fonseca, co-occurred with T. megistoproctus in our studies and was recorded from the same host individuals and localities. These 2 laelapine mite species appear to be exclusively associated with a complex of echimyid rodent species (subgenus Trinomys) in the Atlantic forests of southeastern Brazil.     

Elevation gradients of diversity for rodents and bats in Oaxaca, Mexico

1  This study documents patterns of rodent and bat diversity related to abiotic and biotic factors along elevational gradients in the Sierra Mazateca (640–2600 m a.s.l.) and Sierra Mixteca (700–3000 m a.s.l.) in Oaxaca, Mexico.
2  The two transects share similar faunas: 17 and 23 rodent species were captured in the sierras Mazateca and Mixteca, respectively, 14 of which occurred on both transects. Rodent species richness was similar in the wet season and the dry season along both transects. Rodent species richness peaked at 1025–1050 m in tropical semi-deciduous forest on both transects. Endemic species were restricted to high-elevation habitats.
3  Sixteen and 17 bat species were captured in the sierras Mazateca and Mixteca, respectively; 11 occurred on both transects. Bat species richness was higher in the wet season than in the dry season in the Sierra Mazateca. Bat species richness peaked at 1850 m in pine–oak forest in the Sierra Mazateca, and at 750 m and 1050 m in tropical semi-deciduous forest in the Sierra Mixteca, decreasing abruptly at higher elevations on both transects.
4  Patterns of trophic diversity of rodents and bats coincided with those of species richness on each transect. Species richness increased with increasing habitat diversity; increased with increasing rainfall and productivity; increased with increasing resource diversity; and increased in areas with high rates of speciation (rodents only).
5  The need for conservation action in Oaxaca is urgent and proponents should promote establishment of protected areas linking lowland habitats with high species richness to high-elevation habitats harbouring large numbers of endemic forms.     

MODULATION OF VERY-LONG CHAIN (C28) HIGHLY UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS IN PROROCENTRUM MININUM (DINOPHYCEAE) BY SELENIUM

Sargassum is one of the most species-rich genera in the brown algae with over 400 described species worldwide. The bulk of these species occurs in Pacific-Indian ocean waters with only a small portion found on the Atlantic side of the Isthmus of Panama. Sargassum also has one of the most subdivided and complex taxonomic systems used within the algae. Systematic distinctions within the genus are further complicated by high rates of phenotypic variability in several key morphological characters. Molecular analyses in such systems should allow testing of systematic concepts while providing insights into speciation and evolutionary patterns. Global molecular phylogenetic analyses using both conserved and variable regions of the Rubisco operon ( rbc L and rbc L-IGS-rbcS) were performed with species from the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Pacific basin. Results confirm earlier analyses based on rbc L-IGS- rbc S from Pacific species at the subgeneric and sectional level while providing additional insights into the systematics and phylogenetics on a global scale. For example, species east of the Isthmus of Panama form a distinct well-resolved clade within the tropical subgenus. This result in sharp contrast to traditional systematic treatments but provides a window into the evolutionary history of this genus in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean basins and a possible means to time speciation events.     

A new Stygonitocrella Petkovski (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from a cave in Northern Mexico with comments on the taxonomy of the genus

The cave-dwelling harpacticoid copepod fauna of Mexico is still yet to be known. There are only a few records related to karstic caves, but most refer to epigean forms. The analysis of samples collected in a cave system in Northern Mexico yielded two female specimens of an unknown harpacticoid copepod species which is described herein. It was assigned to the genus Stygonitocrella Petkovski, 1976 mainly because of the presence of a single endopodal segment on legs 1–4; the new species, S. mexicana n. sp. differs from its congeners by a combination of characters related to the segmentation and armature of the swimming legs 1–4, the fifth leg of the female, and the strcture of the antennae. Based on the current limits of Stygonitocrella, two new subgenera are proposed to recognize different morphological patterns based on the presence or absence of an inner baseoendopodal lobe in the female fifth leg, a character not evaluated before. This lobe is absent in the new species and in other five species now contained in the subgenus Eustygonitocrella. A lobe is present in the new subgenus Fiersiella, also with six species. This is the second record of Stygonitocrella in North America, after S. (Fiersiella) sequoyahi Reid, Hunt & Stanley, 2003; it is the only North American cave-dwelling species of the genus. It is suggested that the influence of marine transgressions in Northern Mexico was related to the origin of the new species as part of a group of troglobitic forms originated from marine interstitial ancestors that colonized the freshwater caves. A key for the identification of all the known species of Stygonitocrellais also provided.     

Phylogenetic relationships among North American Alosa species (Clupeidae)

A phylogeny of the six North American species in the genus Alosa , with representatives of three Eurasian species, was generated using mtDNA sequences. This was accomplished by obtaining sequences for three North American species and additional geographical sampling of the other three species. The subgenus Alosa , including the formerly recognized subgenus Caspialosa , formed a strongly supported monophyletic group. Alosa alabamae was part of a polytomy with Alosa sapidissima , which was interpreted to support the recognition of A. alabamae as an incipient, yet distinct, species. The subgenus Pomolobus was not recovered as a monophyletic group. Alosa chrysochloris was basal to all other Alosa , although this position was only weakly supported. Previous work had indicated that Alosa pseudoharengus and Alosa aestivalis are not reciprocally monophyletic, but additional sampling in this study did not detect any further cases of shared haplotypes between the two species. The phylogeny supports previous hypotheses that the evolution of North American Alosa species in the Gulf of Mexico ( A. chrysochloris and A. alabamae ) was the result of two independent events. First, the ancestor of A. chrysochloris was isolated in the Gulf of Mexico, likely by the close of the Suwannee Straits, and this was followed later by dispersal of the ancestor of A. alabamae around the Florida peninsula into the Gulf of Mexico sometime during or after the Pleistocene.     

A new species and subgenus of Desmanthodium (Compositae,Helianheae) from southern Mexico

Desmanthodium congestum, a new species from Chiapas, Mexico, is described and illustrated. Its morphological features are clearly distinguishable from other species of the genus, so much so that this taxon forms a new subgenus withinDesmanthodium, subgenusMultiaggregata.     

Pseudaptinus (Thalpius) nobilis Liebke, new to the United States, and a key to the species of subgenus Thalpius LeConte in North America, including Mexico (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Zuphiini)

The Mexican carabid species Pseudaptinus (Thalpius) nobilis Liebke is documented from the United States for the first time based on two specimens captured in southeastern Texas. A new taxonomic key distinguishes the 10 members of subgenus Thalpius known in North America, including Mexico. Pseudaptinus (Thalpius) dorsalis, which is found to be highly variable in its dorsal coloration, is compared to similar Pseudaptinus (Thalpius) hoegei. Geographic ranges are extended for several species.     

Genetic divergence in Greek populations of the genus Leuciscus and its evolutionary and biogeographical implications

In 23 populations of Greek Leuciscus ( Squalius ), the percentage of polymorphic allozyme loci ranged between 0·034 and 0·379 (P=0·19) and expected heterozygosity was 0·011–0·166 (H_e=0·067). Current taxonomy is confusing and does not correspond to genetic data that support the presence in Greece of at least seven different species: L. cephalus , L. peloponnensis , L. prespensis , L. moreoticus , L. borysthenicus , L. keadicus and Leuciscus sp. from Euboea Island. The maximum Nei modified genetic distance was found among L. keadicus and the rest of subgenus Squalius populations D * Nei=0·446–0·705). Accepting the molecular clock hypothesis, speciation for the genus Leuciscus in Greece must have occurred during the Cenozoic period (between the Middle Miocene and the Later Pliocene). The two main biogeographical events causing speciation on mainland Greece were the Uplift of the Pindic cordillera and the isolation of the southern part of Peloponnesus. The faunistic composition of the lakes studied, in which new taxa are reconsidered, suggests the same faunistic origin in the Early Pliocene for Lakes Prespa and Stymphalia and a younger one in the Late Pliocene for Lake Trichonis. Euboea Island was not a zoogeographical unit during the Cenozoic. The isolation of all the freshwater fish fauna of Euboea has occurred since the Pliocene. The biogeographical model proposed here differs from classical hypotheses in considering of lesser importance the dispersion of L. cephalus on the Greek mainland during the Neogene and Quaternary.     

A new species of Paracapillaria (Nematoda: Capillariidae) parasitizing the Brazilian sandperch, Pinguipes brasilianus (Pisces: Pinguipedidae), from Argentina

A new species, Paracapillaria argentinensis n. sp., is described from the pinguipedid fish Pinguipes brasilianus Cuvier, 1829 from waters off Mar del Plata, Argentina (38 degrees 08'S, 57 degrees 32'W) (prevalence 22.2%; mean intensity +/- SD, 4.42 +/- 5.19). The new species is assigned to the subgenus Paracapillaria Moravec, 1987. Of the 10 species so far known in the subgenus, the new species more closely resembles P. (P.) plectroplites, from which it is distinguished by having a spicule with an expanded anterior end and a slender medial section. A similar spicular morphology is observed in P. (P.) epinephell; however, it shows shorter spicules and a highly reduced caudal bursa. This is the first record of Paracapillaria in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean.