Rhamdia urichi
(Norman 1926) Mees 1974
ORDER | SUB-ORDER | FAMILY |
---|---|---|
Siluriformes | Siluroidei | Heptapteridae |
Synonyms
Caecorhamdia urichi Norman 1926
Caecorhamdella urichi (Norman 1926) Hubbs 1938 lapsus calami
Rhamdia quelen urichi (Norman 1926) Mees 1974
Hubbs (1938:264) used the generic name Caecorhamdella for this species but this was obviously a mistake since the correct name is used three pages later. The generic name was misspelt Caecohamdia by Wolf (1934, 1938).
Country
Trinidad and TobagoTypes
The description was based on a syntype series of two individuals: BMNH 1926.7.28:1‑2. This species is the type species by monotypy of the genus Caecorhamdia.
Distribution
Known only from the type locality: Guacharo Cave (or Oropuche, Oropouche, or Cumaca Cave) Trinidad (10o30’N, 61o30’W).
Habitat
Guacharo Cave is a vadose cave with a stream running through it. The fishes tend to be concentrated in the resurgent sump at the end of the cave. It is thought that the main body of the population is concentrated in the groundwater supplying the cave and nothing is known of this habitat (Darlington 1995). It is highly likely that the large population of Oilbirds (Steatornis caripensis) provided much of the food supply for the aquatic biota. Whether the fishes feed directly on bird products (faeces, dead bodies), or consume invertebrates that do, is not known. Rutherford (2019) counted a population of 1400 individuals in the cave. This is a very significant increase on the 200 reported by Snow (1962). Holland et al (2009) describe the ecology and habits of this bird.
Systematics
Norman (1926) erected the genus Caecorhamdia "in order to draw attention to this interesting fish". He realised however "that this procedure is somewhat unsatisfactory, for, were the eyes developed, the [fishes] would be probably be identified with the species Rhamdia queleni [sic]". Mees (1974:160-165) examined one preserved specimen and living animals at the type locality. His observations indicated that neither generic nor specific distinctions were merited. Instead of synonymising the cave form completely with R. quelen he gave it subspecific status. In common with the cave form of Poecilia mexicana there is a suggestion that a fully evolved troglomorphic fish is undergoing intogression with an epigean form. At Guacharo Cave it is possible to observe all degrees of pigmentation and eye morphology, from pure quelen at the entrance to pure urichi at the end of the cave (observations made by Jack Price; John Endler pers. comm.; Romero 1983:82). Silfvergrip (1996) does not recognise the subspecies. If a troglomorphic, and stygobitic, fish is resident in the area of this cave it will require a separate status and name. Rhamdia urichi seems sensible. However, recent studies by Romero and co-workers (Romero and Creswell 2000, Romero and Creswell 2000, Romero et al. 2002) suggests that the troglomorphic form may have been replaced by an epigean morph. It still remains possible that the troglomorphic form exists in more remote passages, none of which have ever been entered.
Phillip et al. (2013) comment: "A troglomorphic form of Rhamdia cf. quelen had been misidentified as a separate species, Caecorhamdia urichi Norman (1926), and is now considered a synonym of R. cf. quelen.
Biological Notes
Kenny (1995) provides the following very useful observations. They strongly support a view that there was never a highly evolved subterranean fish in the cave and that the syntypes (BMNH 1926.7.28:1‑2) were at the unpigmenred and small-eyed end of the spectrum of variability. (Text courtesy of Amy Deacon).
Caecorhamdía urichi
Given the extreme variability of eye development, pigmentation and barbel length in the blind catfish of the Oropouche Cave, l am inclined to the view that Caecorhamdia urichi was conspecific with Rhamdia quelen. Mees (1974) suggests subspecific status for the blind catfish of the Oropouche Cave. l question this. l have maintained in captivity several specimens and not only the degree of eye formation is variable, but barbel length and colour. Some are pigment free and short barbelled, others range through grey to a very dark grey with longer barbels, and some are even spotted. Moreover, there is no doubt that the pigment-free forms do in fact develop pigmentation in prolonged exposure to illumination. Mees actually visited the Oropouche Cave with Jack Price and Victor Quesnel and spent some time trying to collect specimens. He collected two. Perhaps his methods may not have been up to it. Had he employed a mask and snorkel and chumming he might have seen the very wide variation which l have seen, and had he used a small seine he would certainly have collected more.
Conservation Status
TLO [NE]
Museum Holdings
As above plus: BMNH 1926.7.28:3, RMNH 26733 (Mees 1974).
Internet Resources
Amy Deacon's observations on this fish
Key References
- Norman, J. R. (1926)
- Boeseman, M. (1960)
- Snow, D.W. (1961)
- Snow, D.W. (1962)
- Mees, G.F. (1974)
- Quesnel, V. (1976)
- Romero, A. (1983)
- Quesnel, V. (1985)
- Junge, P. (1992)
- Langecker, T.G. and Wilkens, H. (1992)
- Shaw, T.R. (1993)
- Darlington, J.P.E.C. (1995)
- Kenny, J.S. (1995)
- Silfvergrip, A.M.C. (1996)
- Romero, A. and Creswell, J. (2000)
- Carvalho Gomes, L. de, Golombieski, J.I., Chippari Gomes, A.R. and Baldisserotto, R. (2000)
- Romero, A. and Creswell, J. (2000)
- Romero, A., Singh, A., McKie, A., Manna, M., Baker, R. and Paulson, K.M. (2001)
- Perdices, A., Bermingham, E., Montilla, A. and Doadrio, I. (2002)
- Romero, A., Singh, A., McKie, A., Manna, M., Baker, R., Paulson, K.M. and Creswell, J.E. (2002)
- Weber, A (2003)
- Shaw, P. (2009)
- Holland, R.A., Wikelski, M., Kummeth, F., and Bosque, C. (2009)
- White, S. (2012)
- Phillip, D.A.T., Taphorn, D.C., Holm, E., Gilliam, J.F., Lamphere, B.A. and López-Fernández, H. (2013)
- Deacon, A. (2015)
- Angrizani, R.C. and Malabarba, L.R. (2018)
- Ricci, J.M.B.,Martinez, E.R.M., Butzge, A.J., Doretto, L.B., Oliveira, M.A., Bombardelli, R.A., Bogerd, J. and Nóbrega, R.H. (2018)
- Scaglione, M.C., Cerutti, R.D., Arfuso, F. and Piccione, G. (2018)
- Koerber, S. and Reis, R.E. (2019)
- Rutherford, M.G. (2019)
- Koerber, S. and Reis, R.E. (2020)
- Warren, M.L. and Burr, B.M. (2020)
- Thomas, M.R. and Sabaj, M.H. (2020)
- Arroyave, J., Angulo, A., Hernández-Ávila, S.G., Buenavad-González, M.A., Rojas-Rodríguez.. P., Deleva, S., Ulloa, A., Picq, S., and McMahan, C.D. (2024)
Norman, J. R. | Journal Article | 1926 | A new blind catfish from Trinidad, with a list of blind cave-fishes |
Boeseman, M. | Journal Article | 1960 | The freshwater fishes of the islands of Trinidad |
Snow, D.W. | Journal Article | 1961 | The natural history of the Oilbird, Steatornis caripensis, in Trinidad, W.I. Part 1. General behaviour and breeding habits. |
Snow, D.W. | Journal Article | 1962 | The natural history of the Oilbird, Steatornis caripensis, in Trinidad, W.I. Part 2. Population, breeding ecology and food |
Mees, G.F. | Journal Article | 1974 | The Auchenipteridae and Pimelodidae of Surinam (Pisces, Nematognathi) |
Quesnel, V. | Journal Article | 1976 | Report on the trip to the Oropouche Cave on 7th March |
Romero, A. | Journal Article | 1983 | Introgressive hybridisation in the Astyanax fasciatus (Pisces, Characidae) population at La Cueva Chica |
Quesnel, V. | Journal Article | 1985 | Field Trip to the Cumaca Cave. 1985-3: 2. |
Junge, P. | Journal Article | 1992 | Egg size and larval development of epigean and cave forms of Rhamdia guatemalensis (Pimelodidae, Pisces) |
Langecker, T.G. and Wilkens, H. | Journal Article | 1992 | Comparative ultrastructural studies on the pineal organ of the Mexican catfish Rhamdia laticauda Heckel, 1858 and one of its cave-dwelling derivatives (Pimelodidae, Teleostei) |
Shaw, T.R. | Journal Article | 1993 | The history of cave studies in Trinidad, Jamaica, The Bahamas, and some other Caribbean islands |
Darlington, J.P.E.C. | Journal Article | 1995 | A review of current knowledge about the Oropouche or Cumaca Cave, Trinidad, West Indies |
Kenny, J.S. | Book | 1995 | Views from the bridge. A memoir of the freshwater fishes of Trinidad |
Silfvergrip, A.M.C. | Book | 1996 | A systematic revision of the neotropical catfish genus Rhamdia (Teleostei, Pimelodidae) |
Romero, A. and Creswell, J. | Conference Proceedings | 2000 | Eyes wide open: the "eyeless cave fish of Trinidad, W.I. is not blind |
Carvalho Gomes, L. de, Golombieski, J.I., Chippari Gomes, A.R. and Baldisserotto, R. | Journal Article | 2000 | Biology of Rhamdia quelen (Teleostei, Pimelodidae) |
Romero, A. and Creswell, J. | Journal Article | 2000 | In search of the elusive "eyeless" cave fish of Trinidad, W.I. |
Romero, A., Singh, A., McKie, A., Manna, M., Baker, R. and Paulson, K.M. | Journal Article | 2001 | Return to the Cumaca Cave, Trinidad, W.I. |
Perdices, A., Bermingham, E., Montilla, A. and Doadrio, I. | Journal Article | 2002 | Evolutionary history of the genus Rhamdia (Teleostei: Pimelodidae) in Central America |
Romero, A., Singh, A., McKie, A., Manna, M., Baker, R., Paulson, K.M. and Creswell, J.E. | Journal Article | 2002 | Replacement of the troglomorphic population of Rhamdia quelen (Pisces: Pimelodidae) by an epigean population of the same species in the Cumaca Cave, Trinidad, West Indies |
Weber, A | Thesis | 2003 | Taxonomie und Artstatus hohlenbewohnender und oberirdischer Welse der Gattung Rhamdia (Pimelodidae, Teleostei) in Mexiko |
Shaw, P. | Book | 2009 | A Register of the Caves of Trinidad and Tobago |
Holland, R.A., Wikelski, M., Kummeth, F., and Bosque, C. | Journal Article | 2009 | The secret life of Oilbirds: New insights into the movement ecology of a unique avian frugivore. |
White, S. | Journal Article | 2012 | Cumaca Cave Field Trip Report.2012-1 |
Phillip, D.A.T., Taphorn, D.C., Holm, E., Gilliam, J.F., Lamphere, B.A. and López-Fernández, H. | Journal Article | 2013 | Annotated list and key to the stream fishes of Trinidad and Tobago |
Deacon, A. | Web Page | 2015 | The catfish of Cumaca Cave |
Angrizani, R.C. and Malabarba, L.R. | Journal Article | 2018 | Morphology and molecular data reveal the presence of two new species under Rhamdia quelen (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) species complex |
Ricci, J.M.B.,Martinez, E.R.M., Butzge, A.J., Doretto, L.B., Oliveira, M.A., Bombardelli, R.A., Bogerd, J. and Nóbrega, R.H. | Journal Article | 2018 | Characterization of vasa homolog in a neotropical catfish, Jundiá (Rhamdia quelen): Molecular cloning and expression analysis during embryonic and larval development |
Scaglione, M.C., Cerutti, R.D., Arfuso, F. and Piccione, G. | Journal Article | 2018 | Light and dark rations and the photic entrainment of circadian locomotor activity patterns in the South American Silver Catfish (Rhamdia quelen, Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) |
Koerber, S. and Reis, R.E. | Journal Article | 2019 | The current situation of Rhamdia Bleeker, 1858 (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) – Gather available information, define a zero point, and start all over again |
Rutherford, M.G. | Journal Article | 2019 | An update on the population of the Oilbird, Steatornis caripensis, in Trinidad, W.I. |
Koerber, S. and Reis, R.E. | Journal Article | 2020 | Evidence for the true type-locality of Rhamdia quelen (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae), and the geographical origin and invalid neotype designation of four of its synonyms |
Warren, M.L. and Burr, B.M. | Book | 2020 | Freshwater fishes of North America. Volume 2 Characidae to Poeciliidae |
Thomas, M.R. and Sabaj, M.H. | Book Section | 2020 | Heptapteridae: Seven-finned catfishes |
Arroyave, J., Angulo, A., Hernández-Ávila, S.G., Buenavad-González, M.A., Rojas-Rodríguez.. P., Deleva, S., Ulloa, A., Picq, S., and McMahan, C.D. | Journal Article | 2024 | New vouchered and taxonomically verified records of cave-dwelling populations of catfishes of the genus Rhamdia (Siluriformes, Heptapteridae) from Costa Rica |