Morphological variation in intergrade pupfish populations from the Pecos River, Texas, U.S.A.

In the early 1980s, sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegates was introduced into the Pecos River, Texas, U.S.A. where it hybridized with the endemic Pecos pupfish C. pecosensis . By 1985, pupfish populations throughout approximately 300 km of the river consisted exclusively of individuals of hybrid origin (intergrades). There was significant ( P <0·05) geographic variation in most morphological characters; the general pattern of variation was of a bidirectional cline centred near Pecos, Texas. At that site, morphology of intergrade populations resembled mostly that of the introduced species. Upstream and downstream from Pecos, morphology shifted progressively toward that typical of the native form. Intergrade populations were morphologically intermediate to the parental forms, showed a rapid approach to random assortment of characters, and generally exhibited greater morphological variability than occurred in either parent species. These observations and the consistent lack of bimodality in frequency distributions of a morphological hybrid index support the contention that intergrade populations comprise panmictic admixtures of C. variegates and C. pecosensis .     

Genic diversity in Red River pupfish Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis (Atheriniformes: Cyprinodontidae) and its implications for the conservation genetics of the species

Starch gel electrophoresis of proteins was used to study geographic variation at 26 gene loci in the Red River pupfish ( Cyprinodon rubrofluviatílís ), a species restricted to west Texas and Oklahoma. Marked differences were detected between populations in the Red and Brazos river drainages, with fixed or nearly fixed differences occurring at five gene loci. In addition, mean heterozygosity was uniformly high for the Red River form ( = 0·076–0·101) while samples of the Brazos River form were genetically depauperate ( =0·00–0·017). Introduced populations in the South Canadian and Colorado river drainages appear to have been derived from the Red River drainage. The presence of alleles diagnostic of the Red and Brazos river forms supports the suggestion from previous work that they may represent cryptic species. Regardless of taxonomy, however, the presence of two genetically distinct forms must be taken into consideration by those concerned with maintenance of biotic diversity.     

Body water content over a range of ambient salinities in the sheepshead minnow

Body water content was determined on groups of Cyprinodon variegatus after sequential acclimation to ambient salinities in the range from fresh water to 100%. A multiple linear regression model applied to the data included body mass ( M ) of individuals and acclimation salinity ( S ) as independent variables, and body water content ( W ) as the dependent variable. The model that described the relationship was W (g) = 0·059 + 0·723 M (g)–0001 S (%). Converting values of body water content to percent of wet body mass produced a range of values from 74·5% in fresh water to 72·0% at 100%, only a 2·5% difference in body water content over this wide range of ambient salinities.     

Studies on formation and resorption of fish scales

Summary Scale formation in Cyprinodon variegatus was found to be initiated at about 26 to 30 days after hatching. Ultrastructural investigation revealed that within 4 to 6 h in the first-formed scales the marginal cells begin to flatten and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which later change to osteoblasts and fibroblasts. These cells are separated from the surrounding epithelial cells by a basal lamina. The osteoid is formed by the marginal and osteogenic cells; the osseous layer by the osteoblasts; and the fibrillary plate by the fibroblasts.The osteoid is formed within 2 to 3 h after the initiation of the scale, and within 20 to 24 h the osseous layer is formed. Hydroxyapatite crystals are deposited in the matrix of the osseous layer without apparent association with collagen fibers. No matrix vesicles or dense bodies are evident at the sites of calcification. The fibrillary plate arises 18 to 20 h after the initiation of the scale. It is also partially calcified, but not before the third week of scale formation. The crystals develop almost exclusively between the collagen fibers at the extreme edge of the calcifying front, but solid calcification of the fibers results with further growth of the crystals. The fibroblasts appear to participate in calcification of the fibrillary plate.Contribution No. 332, Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine Biology and Coastal Research, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, 29208, USA     

Heterochrony, maternal effects, and phenotypic variation among sympatric pupfishes

Variation in ontogeny can produce phenotypic variation both within and among species. I investigated whether changes in timing and rate of growth were a source of phenotypic variation in a putative incipient species group of pupfish (Cyprinodon spp.). On San Salvador Island, Bahamas, sympatric forms of pupfish differ in morphology but show only partial reproductive isolation in the laboratory. Offspring from two forms and two geographical areas and their hybrids were bred in the laboratory, and ontogenetic trajectories of their feeding morphology were followed until maturity. In the Bahamian pupfish the two forms grow along similar size but not shape trajectories. Two heterochronic parameters, onset and rate of growth, alter shape trajectories in the Bahamian pupfish. Similar forms from different geographical areas (Florida and the Bahamas) grow along parallel shape trajectories, differing only in one heterochronic parameter, the onset shape. Hybrids within and between the pupfish forms produced intermediate feeding morphologies that were influenced by their maternal phenotype, suggesting that maternal effects may be a source of phenotypic variation in shape that can persist to maturity. In Cyprinodon, small changes in multiple heterochronic parameters translate into large phenotypic differences in feeding morphology.     

Teleost Fish Genomes Contain a Diverse Array of L1 RetrotransposonLineages That Exhibit a Low Copy Number and High Rate of Turnover

Retrotransposable elements exhibit a wide range of variation in population dynamics, abundance, and lineage diversity among host genomes across taxa. This range of diversity is illustrated by a single well-defined constituent monophyletic clade of L1 non-LTR retrotransposons that is shared between mammalian and teleost fish genomes. Despite the clear phylogenetic relationships that exist between mammalian and teleost L1 sequences, these elements exhibit markedly different dynamics within their respective taxa. While mammalian genomes typically contain a single, abundant lineage of L1 elements that traces millions of years of evolution, the zebraflsh genome was recently shown to exhibit a high diversity of ancient lineages coexisting at a very low copy number and apparently exhibiting a high rate of turnover. In the present study, a combination of degenerate PCR, lineage-specific PCR, and genomic Southern blot analysis is utilized to demonstrate high L1 lineage diversity, low copy number, and a high proportion of polymorphic inserts in the genomes of the killifish species, Fundulus heteroclitus. Additional species surveyed by degenerate PCR include Cyprinodon variegatus, Rivulus marmoratus, and Menidia beryllina. These results further support the generality of the differences that exist in host–element dynamics between teleost fish and mammalian genomes with regard to L1 retrotransposons.Reviewing Editor: Dr. Axel Meyer     

Fish habitat associations in a spatially variable desert stream

White sands pupfish Cyprinodon tularosa were sampled with minnow traps along the length of Lost River, a highly variable desert stream in New Mexico, to evaluate if their abundance, median standard length ( L _S) and sex ratio values differed by microhabitat variables. Habitat measurements were made in a 4 m² area around the minnow trap. White Sands pupfish populations were primarily structured by L _S. As specific conductance and surface area increased, median size of fish decreased. Shallow areas with higher specific conductance were correlated with an increased number of fish.     

Genetic structure of wild populations of the endangered Desert Pupfish complex (Cyprinodontidae: Cyprinodon)

Data from 10 microsatellite DNA loci were used to describe the genetic structure of the two extant species (Cyprinodon macularius and C. eremus) of the endangered Desert Pupfish complex of southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Variation at microsatellite loci was significantly correlated (Mantel test) with that of previous mtDNA results, both for the complex and for the relatively wide-ranging C. macularius alone. Both species showed unusually high levels of microsatellite diversity for non-marine fish (H _e = 0.84–0.93; A_R = 11.9–17.0). There was evidence (R _ST > F _ST) that the two extant populations of C. eremus have been isolated sufficiently long for mutation to contribute significantly to genetic divergence, whereas divergence among the nine assayed populations of C. macularius could be attributed to genetic drift alone. Correspondingly, 10% of the diversity in C. eremus was attributable to differences between the two populations, whereas, for C. macularius, only 2.7% was attributable to among-population variation. Within C. macularius, a small (0.8%), but statistically significant, portion was attributable to differences between populations in the Salton Sea area and those on the lower Colorado River delta. The two populations of C. eremus and five groups of populations of C. macularius are recommended as management units for conservation genetics management of the two species.     

Sexual selection is stabilizing selection in pupfish [Cyprinodon pecosensis)

One of the predictions of the 'good genes' model of sexual selection is that reproductively successful males with well-developed indicator traits should show smaller variances for non-indicator traits, that are not directly associated with mating success, when compared to non-breeding males and females. Thus sexual selection should reinforce stabilizing natural selection in reducing the variance in quantitative traits. This prediction is tested by analysing variation in eight morphological traits of breeding males, non-breeding males, and females of pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis). Breeding males tended to be less variable than non-breeding males for all principal component factors, and for all morphological traits except for depth, although these differences were statistically significant only for PC2, and PC5 and for pelvic fin length, number of pelvic fin rays and number of preopercular and preorbital pores. Similarly, breeding males tended to be less variable than females for all principal component factors and for all morphological traits except for number of preopercular pores. These differences were statistically significant for PC2, and for depth, pelvic fin length, number of preorbital pores and pectoral fin rays. The overall pattern of reduced variability in independent traits of breeding males revealed by principal component analysis is very consistent and highly significant (P<10⁵). These results support the prediction of the 'good genes' model and show that reproductively active males are subject to more severe stabilizing selection for several quantitative traits than non-breeding males and females. Thus sexual selection, through male-male competition, female choice, or an interaction of both selective processes, results in stabilizing selection on quantitative morphological traits.     

Intra- and inter-specific variation in buoyancy of some estuarine fishes

Synopsis Buoyancy was measured on eight species of estuarine fishes that were caught in 1 m depth or less. Mean buoyancies of the physoclists Fundulus heteroclitus, F. majalis, Cyprinodon variegatus and Leiostomus xanthurus were similar and ranged from –6.5 to –18.0 kiloPascals below atmospheric pressure at sea level. Menidia menidia and Pomatomus saltatrix measured –36.6 and –46.1 kPa, respectively. Two physostomes, Brevoortia tyrannus and Anchoa mitchilli, measured + 2.9 and –23.5 kPa, respectively, but the latter probably releases air when handled.The four most buoyant physoclist species live near the bottom in areas that receive daily tide induced currents. Negative buoyancy probably functions in them as in stream dwelling minnows and salmonids, which respond to currents by decreasing their buoyancy. The pronounced negative buoyancy of M. menidia may be a response to a preference for habitat where the currents are stronger, P. saltatrix, which can secrete gas into the swim bladder at the fastest rate known for any fish, combines high secretion (and resorption) rates with marked negative buoyancy. This enables it to quickly change depths over a wide vertical range, without overexpanding the swim bladder to cause positive buoyancy.