Rhamdia zongolicensis
Wilkens 1993
| ORDER | SUB-ORDER | FAMILY |
|---|---|---|
| Siluriformes | Siluroidei | Heptapteridae |
Note
Rhamdia zongolicensis was described as a new species by Wilkens (1993). In a review of all neotropical species of Rhamdia Silfvergrip (1996) did not accept that R. zongolicensis was a separate species and placed it in synonymy with R. laticauda. In a wide ranging study Arroyave and De La Cruz Fernandex (2021 and submitted) studied fishes from six caves in the Sierra de Zongolica (see below) and were of the opinion that all were cave-adapted species of R. laticauda rather than separate species, thus agreeing with Silfvergrip (1996). In the 2021 paper they decided that these results were preliminary and retained R. zongolicensis, from its type locailty, as a separate species while including five other species as populations of R. laticauda. For the purposes of this species account we will retain all six population within R. zongolicensis (for simplicity) and await publication of their second, submitted, paper which will provide the details necessary to write one or more species accounts for the six known populations.
Synonyms
Rhamdia laticauda
Country
MéxicoTypes
Holotype: ZMH 8249 92mm SL. Paratypes: ZMH 8250, 3 specimens 65-85mm SL.
Distribution
Type locality: Cueva del Ostoc, Sierra de Zongolica, Veracruz, México (18oN, 97oW). This cave is also known as Cueva de El Túnel and under this name was described by Robertson (1983a, 1983b) and Mosier (1984) both of whom mentioned the fishes, the former also providing a photograph. Arroyave and De La Cruz Fernandez (2021) found populations of fishes with varying degrees of troglomorphy in the following caves within the Sierra de Zongolica:
| Population | Lat. | Long. | Municipality | Depth (m) | Voucher specimens | Degree of troglomorphy (1-5) |
| Cueva del Ostoc | 18.61 | -96.89 | Zongolica | 30 | See below | 2 |
| Sumidero de Cotzalostoc | 18.7 | -96.92 | Totolacatla | 200 | See below | 4 |
| Sotano de Popacatl | 18.76 | -96.95 | Coetzala | 74 | See below | 3 |
| Sotano de Ahuihuitzcapa | 18.73 | -96.93 | Totolacatla | 455 | See below | - |
| Cueva Piedras Blancas | 18.67 | -96.9 | Zongolica | 5 | See below | 0 |
| Cueva del Naranjal | 18.78 | -96.96 | Naranjal | 50-70 | See below | 1 |
Habitat
There is little published information. Wilkens (1993a) reports that there was no other animal life in the pools in the cave and that the type specimens were undernourished. This may suggest that the food supply is episodic, perhaps related to flood events. Robertson (1983) provides a survey.
Systematics
Silfvergrip (1986) does not accept that this species is diagnosable from Rhamdia laticauda and places it within that species.
Arroyave and De La Cruz-Fernandez (2021) studied all four Mexican troglobitic Rhamdia (R. reddelli, R. zongolicensis, R. macuspanensis and R. laluchensis) with both genetics and morphology. They discovered that all four species are probably populations of the epigean Rhamdia laticauda but they refrained from making nomenclatural decisions, and thus placing all four as troglobitic populations of R. laticauda, until further data become available. The four species thus retain their current names for the timebeing (August 2021).
Conservation Status
Arroyave, J. and Schmitter-Soto, J. 2019. Rhamdia zongolicensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T19456A2349993. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T19456A2349993.en. Downloaded on 10 December 2020.
Threatened (Contreras-Balderas et al. 2003)
Previously:
1996 – Vulnerable (VU)
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T19456A8894338.en
Museum Holdings
All from Arroyave and De la Cruz Fernandez (2021)
Cueva Ostoc ZMH 8249, THNC 11640, 11660, 23873, CNPE-IBUNAM 23800, 23806
Sumidero de Cotzalostoc THNC 11642, CNPE-IBUNAM 23799
Sótano de Popocatl THNC 11641, 11661, CNPE-IBUNAM 23802, 23816, 23817
Sótano de Ahuihuitzcapa THNC 11662
Cueva Piedras Blancas CNPE-IBUNAM 23801
Cueva del Naranjal CNPE-IBUNAM 23803
Key References
- Robertson, S. (1983)
- Robertson, S. (1983)
- Mosier, D. (1984)
- Williams, J.E., Johnson, J.E., Hendrickson, D.A., Conteras-Balderas, S., Williams, J.D., Navarro-Mondoza, M., McAllister, D.E. and Deacon, J.E. (1989)
- Wilkens, H. (1991)
- Langecker, T.G. and Wilkens, H. (1992)
- Junge, P. (1992)
- Anderßon, O. (1992)
- Wilkens, H. (1993)
- Wilkens, H. (1993)
- Weber, A. (1995)
- Weber, A. (1996)
- Silfvergrip, A.M.C. (1996)
- Weber, A. (1998)
- Wilkens, H. (2001)
- Perdices, A., Bermingham, E., Montilla, A. and Doadrio, I. (2002)
- Weber, A (2003)
- Contreras-Balderas, S, Almada-Villela, P, Lozano-Vilano, M de L and Garcia-Ramirez, ME (2003)
- Contreras-Balderas, S and others, 13 (2008)
- Hulsey, C.D. and Lopez-Fernandez, H. (2011)
- Contreras-Macbeath, T., Rodriguez, M.B., Sorani, V., Goldspink, C., and McGregor Reid, G. (2014)
- Palacios-Vargas, J.G., Juberthie, C. and Reddell, J. (2014-2015)
- Scaglione, M.C., Cerutti, R.D., Arfuso, F. and Piccione, G. (2018)
- Koerber, S. and Reis, R.E. (2019)
- Koerber, S. and Reis, R.E. (2020)
- Warren, M.L. and Burr, B.M. (2020)
- Thomas, M.R. and Sabaj, M.H. (2020)
- Lyons, T.J., Máiz-Tomé, L., Tognelli, M., Daniels, A., Meredith, C., Bullock, R. and Harrison, I., Contreras-MacBeath, T., Hendrickson, D.A., Arroyave, J., Mercado Silva, N., Köck, M., Domínguez Domínguez, O., Valdés González, A., Espinosa Pérez et al. (2020)
- Arroyave, J. and De La Cruz Fernández, D.A. (2021)
- Arroyave, J. and De La Cruz Fernández, D.A. (2021)
- 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)
| Robertson, S. | Journal Article | 1983 | Cueva del Tunel, Veracruz |
| Robertson, S. | Journal Article | 1983 | Zongolica project |
| Mosier, D. | Journal Article | 1984 | Cave dwelling populations of Rhamdia (Pimelodidae) |
| Williams, J.E., Johnson, J.E., Hendrickson, D.A., Conteras-Balderas, S., Williams, J.D., Navarro-Mondoza, M., McAllister, D.E. and Deacon, J.E. | Journal Article | 1989 | Fishes of North America endangered, threatened or of special concern 1989 |
| Wilkens, H. | Journal Article | 1991 | Comparative study and phylogenetic age of epigean and cave forms of the genus Rhamdia (Pimelodidae, Teleostei) |
| 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) |
| Junge, P. | Journal Article | 1992 | Egg size and larval development of epigean and cave forms of Rhamdia guatemalensis (Pimelodidae, Pisces) |
| Anderßon, O. | Thesis | 1992 | Vergleichende Untersuchung der Augenentwicklung der oberirdischen und der Höhlenformen der Gattung Rhamdia (Pimelodidae, Pisces) |
| Wilkens, H. | Journal Article | 1993 | A new species of Rhamdia (Pisces, Pimelodidae) from a cave in the Sierra de Zongolica (Veracruz, Mexico) |
| Wilkens, H. | Journal Article | 1993 | Adaptation and phylogenetic age of Mexican epigean and cave Rhamdia (Pimelodidae) |
| Weber, A. | Journal Article | 1995 | The lateral line system of epigean and cave dwelling catfishes of the genus Rhamdia (Pimelodidae, Teleostei) in Mexico |
| Weber, A. | Journal Article | 1996 | Cave dwelling catfish populations of the genus Rhamdia (Pimelodidae, Siluroidei, Teleostei) in Mexico |
| Silfvergrip, A.M.C. | Book | 1996 | A systematic revision of the neotropical catfish genus Rhamdia (Teleostei, Pimelodidae) |
| Weber, A. | Journal Article | 1998 | Mexican cave catfish of the genus Rhamdia (Pimelodidae): notes on adaptation and distribution |
| Wilkens, H. | Journal Article | 2001 | Convergent adaptations to cave life in the Rhamdia laticauda catfish group (Pimelodidae, Teleostei) |
| Perdices, A., Bermingham, E., Montilla, A. and Doadrio, I. | Journal Article | 2002 | Evolutionary history of the genus Rhamdia (Teleostei: Pimelodidae) in Central America |
| Weber, A | Thesis | 2003 | Taxonomie und Artstatus hohlenbewohnender und oberirdischer Welse der Gattung Rhamdia (Pimelodidae, Teleostei) in Mexiko |
| Contreras-Balderas, S, Almada-Villela, P, Lozano-Vilano, M de L and Garcia-Ramirez, ME | Journal Article | 2003 | Freshwater fish at risk or extinct in Mexico |
| Contreras-Balderas, S and others, 13 | Journal Article | 2008 | Freshwater fishes and water status in México: A country-wide appraisal |
| Hulsey, C.D. and Lopez-Fernandez, H. | Book Section | 2011 | Nuclear Central America |
| Contreras-Macbeath, T., Rodriguez, M.B., Sorani, V., Goldspink, C., and McGregor Reid, G. | Journal Article | 2014 | Richness and endemism of the freshwater fishes of Mexico |
| Palacios-Vargas, J.G., Juberthie, C. and Reddell, J. | Book | 2014-2015 | Encyclopaedia Biospeologica Mexico |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Lyons, T.J., Máiz-Tomé, L., Tognelli, M., Daniels, A., Meredith, C., Bullock, R. and Harrison, I., Contreras-MacBeath, T., Hendrickson, D.A., Arroyave, J., Mercado Silva, N., Köck, M., Domínguez Domínguez, O., Valdés González, A., Espinosa Pérez et al. | Book | 2020 | The status and distribution of freshwater fishes in Mexico |
| Arroyave, J. and De La Cruz Fernández, D.A. | Journal Article | 2021 | Cave-dwelling populations of Rhamdia (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) from the Sierra de Zongolica, Veracruz, Mexico: an evidence-based checklist with comments on their evolutionary history and taxonomy |
| Arroyave, J. and De La Cruz Fernández, D.A. | Journal Article | 2021 | Genetic and morphological evidence cast doubt on the validity of Mexican troglobitic species of the Neotropical catfish genus Rhamdia (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae). |
| 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 |