Journal Article
Mechanisms of pigmentation loss in subterranean fishes
Felice, V., Visconti, M.A. and Trajano, E.
Record Number:
2598
Year:
2008
Journal:
Neotropical Ichthyology
Pages:
657-662
Volume:
6
Abstract:
Troglobitic (exclusively subterranean) organisms usually present, among their apomorphies related to the subterranean life (troglomorphisms), the regression of eyes and melanic pigmentation. The degree of regression varies among species, from a slight reduction to the complete loss of eyes and dark pigmentation, without a taxonomic correlation. While mechanisms of eye reduction have been intensively investigated in some troglobites such as the Mexican blind tetra characins, genus Astyanax, and the European salamander, Proteus anguinus, few studies have focused on pigmentation. The Brazilian subterranean ichthyofauna distinguishes not only by the species richness (23 troglobitic fishes so far known) but also by the variation in the degree of reduction of eyes and pigmentation. This study focused on Brazilian fishes completely devoid of melanic pigmentation: the characiform Stygichthys typhlops (Characidae) and the siluriforms Ancistrus formoso (Loricariidae), Rhamdiopsis sp.1 (Heptapteridae; from caves in the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia) and Rhamdiopsis sp. 2 (cave in Campo Formoso, Bahia). In order to investigate if such depigmentation is the result of blockage in some step in the melanogenesis, in vitro tests of administration of L-DOPA were done, using caudal-fin fragments extracted from living fish. Except for Rhamdiopsis sp. 2, all the studied species were DOPA(+), i.e., melanin was synthesized after L-DOPA administration. This indicates these fish do have melanophores but they are unable to convert L-tyrosine to L-DOPA. On the other hand, Rhamdiopsis sp. 2, like the albino specimens of Trichomycterus itacarambiensis previously studied (which correspond to one third of the population), are DOPA(-), either because the block of melanin synthesis occurs downstream in melanogenesis, which is probably the case with T. itacarambiensis (monogenic system in view of the phenotypic discontinuity), or because the so-called albinos do no possess melanophores. The physiological loss in the ability to synthesize melanin, apparently caused by different genetic processes in DOPA(+) and in DOPA(-) fishes, may co-exist in subterranean populations with a decrease in the density of melanophores, as observed in the pigmented two thirds of T. itacarambiensis population, a morphological reduction apparently controlled by polygenic systems producing a continuous phenotypic variation.
Times Cited:
2
Related Records:
Reis, R. E. (1986)
Uma nova especie de Ancystrus de caverna: o primeiro Loricariidae cego (Pisces, Siluriformes)
Reis, R. E. (1987)Ancistrus cryptophthalmus sp. n., a blind mailed catfish from the Tocantins river basin, Brazil (Pisces, Siluriformes,Loricariidae)
Bleckmann, H., Niemann, U. and Fritzsch, B. (1991)Peripheral and central aspects of the acoustic and lateral line system of a bottom dwelling catfish, Ancistrus sp.
Bleckmann, H., Niemann, U. and Fritzsch, B. (1991)Peripheral and central aspects of the acoustic and lateral line system of a bottom dwelling catfish, Ancistrus sp.
Trajano, E. and de Souza, A. M. (1994)Behaviour of Ancistrus cryptophthalmus an armoured blind catfish from caves of central Brazil, with notes on syntopic Trichomycterus sp. (Siluriformes, Loricariidae, Trichomycteridae)
Muller, S., Rapp Py-Daniel, L.H. and Zuanon, J. (1994)Ancistrus ranunculus, a new species of loricariid fish (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the Xingú and Tocantins rivers, Brazil
Trajano, E. (1994)Comparative study of the brain and olfactory organ of the troglobitic catfish Pimelodella kronei (Ribeiro, 1907) and its putative ancestor P. transitoria (Ribeiro, 1912) (Siluriformes, Pimelodidae)
Sabino, J. and Trajano, E. (1997)A new species of blind armoured catfish, genus Ancistrus, from caves of Bodoquena region, Mato Grosso do Sul, southwestern Brazil (Siluriformes, Loricariidae, Ancistrinae)
Sabino, J. and Trajano, E. (1997)A new species of blind armoured catfish, genus Ancistrus, from caves of Bodoquena region, Mato Grosso do Sul, southwestern Brazil (Siluriformes, Loricariidae, Ancistrinae)
Trajano, E. and Gerhard, P. (1997)Light reaction in Brazilian cave fishes (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae, Trichomycteridae, Loricariidae)
Bessa, E. and Trajano, E. (2001)Light reaction and cryptobiotic habits in two cave-dwelling Brazilian armoured catfishes, genus Ancistrus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)
Bessa, E. and Trajano, E. (2001)Light recation and cryptobiotic habitats in armoured catfishes, genus Ancistrus, from caves in central and north-eastern Brazil
Bessa, E. and Trajano, E. (2001)Light reaction and cryptobiotic habits in two cave-dwelling Brazilian armoured catfishes, genus Ancistrus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)
Trajano, E. (2001)Habitat and population data of troglobitic armored cave catfish, Ancistrus cryptophthalmus Reis, 1987, from central Brazil (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)
Moller, D. and Parzefall, J. (2001)Single or multiple origin of the subterranean catfish Ancistrus cryptophthalmus. What we can learn from molecular data
Bessa, E. and Trajano, E. (2001)Light recation and cryptobiotic habitats in armoured catfishes, genus Ancistrus, from caves in central and north-eastern Brazil
Trajano, E and Reis, RE (2002)Geometric morphometric study of epigean and cave populations of armoured catfish genus Ancistrus from the Sao Domingos karst area, upper Tocantins basin, central Brazil (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)
Fernandez, L. and Bichuette, M.E. (2002)A new cave dwelling species of Ituglanis from the Sao Domingos karst, central Brazil (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae)
Bichuette, M.E. and Trajano, E (2003)Epigean and subterranean ichthyofauna from the Sao Domingos karst area, Upper Tocantins River basin, central Brazil
Armbruster, J.W. (2004)Phylogenetic relationships of the suckermouth armoured catfishes (Loricariidae) with emphasis on the Hypostominae and the Ancistrinae
Armbruster, J.W. (2004)Phylogenetic relationships of the suckermouth armoured catfishes (Loricariidae) with emphasis on the Hypostominae and the Ancistrinae
Reis, R.E., Trajano, E. and Hingst-Zaher, E. (2006)Shape variation in surface and cave populations of the armoured catfish Ancistrus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the São Domingos karst area, Upper Tocantins River, Brazil.
Reis, R.E., Trajano, E. and Hingst-Zaher, E. (2006)Shape variation in surface and cave populations of the armoured catfish Ancistrus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the São Domingos karst area, Upper Tocantins River, Brazil.
Trajano, E. and Bichuette, M.E. (2007)Population ecology of cave armoured catfish, Ancistrus cryptophthalmus Reis 1987, from central Brazil (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)
Felice, V., Visconti, M.A. and Trajano, E. (2008)Mechanisms of pigmentation loss in subterranean fishes
Felice, V., Visconti, M.A. and Trajano, E. (2008)Mechanisms of pigmentation loss in subterranean fishes
Borghezan, R. (2008)Caracterizacao da ictiocenose em poc¸oes da Gruta das Fadas e aspectos biologicos de Rhamdia sp. (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) e Ancistrus sp. (Siluriformes: Loricariidae), Serra da Bodoquena, Mato Grosso do Sul.
Secutti, S. and Trajano, E. (2009)Reproductive behavior, development and eye regression in the cave armored catfish, Ancistrus cryptophthalmus Reis, 1987 (Siluriformes: Loricariidae), breed in laboratory
Lujan, N.K. and Armbruster, J.W. (2012)Morphological and functional diversity of the mandible in suckermouth armored catfishes
(Siluriformes: Loricariidae)
Lujan, N.K. and Armbruster, J.W. (2012)Morphological and functional diversity of the mandible in suckermouth armored catfishes
(Siluriformes: Loricariidae)
Bastos, V.A.A., Ferreira, R.L., de Carvalho, D.C., Pugedo, M.L. and Pinto, L.D.A. (2013)The cave environment influencing the lipid profile and hepatic lipogenesis of the fish Ancistrus cryptophthalmus Reis, 1987 (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)
Cordeiro, L.M., Borghezan, R. and Trajano, E. (2013)Distribuição, riqueza e conservação dos peixes troglóbios da Serra da Bodoquena,
MS (Teleostei: Siluriformes).
Distribution, richness and conservation of troglobitic fishes from Serra
da Bodoquena, MS (Teleostei)
Borghezan. R. (2013)Ecologia populacional e cornportamento de peixes subterraneos, Rhamdia sp. n. e Ancistrus sp. n. da area carstica da Serra da Bodoquena, Mato Grosso do Sul (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae, Loricariidae)
von Schimonsky, D.M. and Bichuette, M.E. (2013)A expressão do comportamento agonístico em Ituglanis ramiroi Bichuette and Trajano 2004 (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) e sua aplicação para conservação
Cordeiro, L.M., Borghezan, R. and Trajano, E. (2014)Subterranean biodiversity in the Serra da Bodoquena karst area, Paraguay river basin, Mato Grosso do Sul, Southwestern Brazil
Trajano, E., Gallao, J.E. and Bichuette, M.E. (2016)Spots of high biodiversity of troglobites in Brazil: the challenge of measuring subterranean diversity
Trajano, E., Gallao, J.E. and Bichuette, M.E. (2016)Spots of high biodiversity of troglobites in Brazil: the challenge of measuring subterranean diversity
Gallão, J.E. and Bichuette M.E. (2018)Brazilian obligatory subterranean fauna and threats to the hypogean environment
Gallão, J.E. and Bichuette M.E. (2018)Brazilian obligatory subterranean fauna and threats to the hypogean environment
Bichuette, M.E., Gimenez, E.A., Arnone, I.S. and Trajano, E. (2018)An important site for conservation of bats in Brazil:
Passa Três cave, São Domingos karst area, with an updated checklist for Distrito Federal (DF) and Goiás state
Bichuette, M.E., Simões, L.B., Zepon, T., von Schimonsky, D.M. and Gallão, J.E. (2019)Richness and taxonomic distinctness of cave invertebrates from the northeastern state of Goiás, central Brazil: a vulnerable and singular area
Roxo, F.F., Ochoa, L.E., Sabaj, M.H., Lujan, N.K., Covain, R., Silva, G.S.C., Melo, B.F., Albert, J.S., Chang, J., Foresti, F., Alfaro, M.E. and Oliveira, C. (2019)Phylogenomic reappraisal of the Neotropical catfish family Loricariidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes) using ultraconserved elements
Splendore de Borba, R., Mariotto, S., Centofante, L., Zawadzki C.H. and Parise-Maltempi, P.P. (2019)Molecular discrimination of Ancistrus lineages (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) using barcode DNA tool
Splendore de Borba, R., Mariotto, S., Centofante, L., Zawadzki C.H. and Parise-Maltempi, P.P. (2019)Molecular discrimination of Ancistrus lineages (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) using barcode DNA tool
Mendes, I.S., Prosdocimi, F., Schomaker-Bastos, A., Furtado, C., Ferreira, R.L., .Pompeu, P.S. and Carvalho, D.C. (2019)On the evolutionary origin of Neotropical cavefish Ancistrus cryptophthalmus (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) based on the mitogenome and genetic structure of cave and surface populations
Mendes, I.S., Prosdocimi, F., Schomaker-Bastos, A., Furtado, C., Ferreira, R.L., .Pompeu, P.S. and Carvalho, D.C. (2019)On the evolutionary origin of Neotropical cavefish Ancistrus cryptophthalmus (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) based on the mitogenome and genetic structure of cave and surface populations
Glugoski, L., Deon, G., Schott, S., Vicari, M.R., Nogaroto, V. and Moreira-Filho, O. (2020)Comparative cytogenetic analyses in Ancistrus species (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)
Glugoski, L., Deon, G., Schott, S., Vicari, M.R., Nogaroto, V. and Moreira-Filho, O. (2020)Comparative cytogenetic analyses in Ancistrus species (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)
Meng, F., Yin, X., Zhang, T., Zhao, C., Xue, X., Xia, X., Zhu, X., Duan, Z., Liu, B. and Liu, Y. (2021)The first determination and analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of Ancistrus temmincki (Siluriformes:Loricariidae)
Meng, F., Yin, X., Zhang, T., Zhao, C., Xue, X., Xia, X., Zhu, X., Duan, Z., Liu, B. and Liu, Y. (2021)The first determination and analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of Ancistrus temmincki (Siluriformes:Loricariidae)
Santos da Silva, K., Glugoski, L., Vicari, M.R., de Souza, A.C.P., Noronha, R.C.R., Pieczarka, J.C. and Nagamachi, C.Y. (2022)Chromosomal diversification in Ancistrus species (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) Inferred from repetitive sequence analysis
Santos da Silva, K., Glugoski, L., Vicari, M.R., de Souza, A.C.P., Noronha, R.C.R., Pieczarka, J.C. and Nagamachi, C.Y. (2022)Chromosomal diversification in Ancistrus species (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) Inferred from repetitive sequence analysis