Lucifuga subterranea
Poey 1858

ORDER | SUB-ORDER | FAMILY |
---|---|---|
Ophidiiformes | Bythitoidei | Bythitidae |
Synonyms
Lucifuga subterraneus Poey 1858
Lucifuga teresinarum Diaz Perez 1988
Country
CubaTypes
The status of the type specimens for this species, and for Lucifuga dentata, the second and third described subterranean fishes, is not known with any degree of certainty. The Catalog of Fishes (Eschmeyer, Fricke and van der Laan 2018) says: "Poey specimens: ZMB 6341 (1)" without stating the type status of this specimen. Romero (2007) does not mention ZMB 6341, presumably because he was not aware of it, and suggests that one of either USNM 00001739 (collected by Poey, date unknown) or MNHN A-5234 (collector unknown, date unknown, sent to Valenciennes in Paris probably 1865) is the holotype or in the type series.
The type catalogue of Faloh-Gandarilla et al. 2016, presumably the most reliable source in this matter, says that ZMB 6341 is a single syntype, probably because Poey (1858) did not specifically mention the single type specimen which, if he had done so, would have been the holotype.
This species is the type species by monotypy of the cave restricted genus Lucifuga.
Distribution
Type locality: Cueva de Cajio, potrero de Torres, dos leguas, (c. 8.5 km), Sur de Guira de Melena, Habana province, Cuba. Other sites from which this species has been collected are given by Eigenmann (1909), Taboada (1974) and Garcia Debras, Gonzalez and Yager (1999) (22o-23oN, 80o-84oW).
Province | Municipality | Cave | Coexistence |
---|---|---|---|
Habana | Alquizar | Cueva del Cafetal "La Concordia" | |
Cueva del cafetal "La Industria" | L. dentata | ||
Cueva del Quintanal | |||
Artemisa | Cueva en Ashton | ||
Cueva de Ashton | L. dentata | ||
Cueva Emilio | L. dentata | ||
Cueva del Baño | |||
Cueva Baño II | L. dentata | ||
Cueva Modesta | L. dentata | ||
Cueva de la Lechuza | |||
Cueva del Dragón | |||
Cueva en Cañas | |||
Cavernas en San Isidro | |||
Cueva en la Tranquilidad | L. dentata | ||
Cueva en Los Frías | L. dentata | ||
Cueva Hawey | |||
Cueva Los Pérez | L. dentata | ||
Guira de Melena | Cueva Jaiguán | L. dantata | |
Cueva Cajío * | L. dentata | ||
Quivican | Cueva Juanelo Piedra | L. dentata | |
Cueva de Luis Piedra | L. dentata | ||
Cueva del Túnel | L. dentata |
Known distribution of Lucifuga subterranea. * type locailty.
Habitat
Inhabits anchialine caves.
Systematics
A general note on the systematics and distribution of the genus Lucifuga
The genus Lucifuga contains eight nominal species:
Nominal species | Distribution |
---|---|
subterranea | Cuba - southwest |
dentata | Cuba - west central |
dentata holguinensis | Cuba |
simile | Cuba - Matanzas |
teresinarum | Cuba |
spelaeotes | Bahamas - Grand Bahama Bank |
lucayana | Bahamas - Little Bahama Bank |
inopinata | Galapagos - marine not subterranean |
The first question is how L. inopinata fits in to the phylogeography of the genus. This is not a question that will receive an answer anytime soon as it is currently known only from its female holotype. Since it requires knowledge of the intromitent organ of a male to fully confirm the generic position it may be that inopinata is not in fact Lucifuga and may be Calamopteryx (Cohen and McCosker 1998). Assuming that it is Lucifuga the following scenario may explain the distributiional anomaly. It is found about as far south west of the Isthmus of Panama as the rest of the species are found to the north east of it. Presumably the last common ancestor of all of the species was distributed in the sea in this area before the close of the isthmus. After this event L. inopinata remained in the sea while one or more migrations into caves took place in the Caribbean. Until the studies of Moller et al. (2006) all Bahamian species on both main banks were placed in L. spelaeotes but it was no surpsrise to see that the banks each have their own species. Molecular studies of the Cuban species by Hernandez (2005), Lara et al. (2010), Garcia- Machado et al. (2011) and Hernandez et al. (2016) have considerably altered understanding of the situation in Cuba. These studies strongly suggest that there are at least eight phylogentic groups in Cuba: the nominal species subterranea, dentata, simile and holguinensis (raised from subspecific to specific status), and four currently unnamed taxa. L. holguinensis is sister to unnamed species 4 and both of these are sister to 3. These thre groups are all the sister all other species. L. terresinarum groups strongly with L. subterranea and is clearly it synonym. L. subterranea is sister to dentata, simile and unnamed species 1 and 2. simile and 2 form a monophyletic group as do dentata and 1 and each of these are sisters.
Biological Notes
Fishes in the genus Lucifuga are parasitised by Genarchella isabellae (Trematoda: Derogenidae) and Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) lucifugae (Nematoda: Camallanidae) (Coy Otero Garcia and Ventosa 1997, Garcia, Coy Otero and Ventosa 1999).
Conservation Status
MuG [VU D2:2.3:1996]
Alfredo Garcia Debras (pers. comm.) reports that some historical locations for this species have been partially or totally destroyed, some are affected by pollution from industrial and/or domestic sources and others by various engineering works. He also states that some marine fish species have been introduced into the habitat of Lucifuga species, where they not only compete for resources (mainly food) but also actively prey on the cave fishes.
Museum Holdings
Romero (2007) provides the following list of museum specimens and in addition to these
there is one further specimen, the single syntype, ZMB 6341 (Faloh-Gandarilla et al. 2016:10).
Catalogue number | Locality in Cuba | Collector | Collection date |
USNM 00001739 | Cuevas de Alquizas | Poey | Not known |
MNHN A-5234 | Not known | Not known | 1865 |
SU 8510 | Hawey | Eigenmann | 1893 or earlier |
CAS 30438 | Not known | Eigenmann and Riddle | 1902 |
AMNH 18463 | Not known | Not known | c.1904 |
AMNH 18712 | Tranquilidad | Eigenmann | March 1902 |
AMNH 18714 | Not known | Eigenmann | March 1902 |
FMNH 3934 | Cañas | Eigenmann and Riddle | March 1902 |
FMNH 33090 | Not known | Eigenmann? | Not known |
FMNH 52631 | Not known | Eigenmann | Not known |
SU 8509 | Jaiguan | Eigenmann | Not known |
BMNH 1904.1.28.137 | Cañas | Not known | 1904 |
BMNH 1904.1.28.135-136 | Tranquilidad | Not known | 1904 |
MCZ 29902 | Cañas | Eigenmann | 1910 |
USNM 00204452 | Not known | Not known | 1936? |
MCZ 31221 | Guira de Melena | Carlos de la Torre | Not known |
Key References
- Poey, F. (1858)
- Lane, H. H. (1903)
- Lane, H. H. (1908)
- Lane, H.H. (1909)
- Eigenmann, C. H. (1909)
- Nunez Jimenez, A. (1944)
- Cohen, D.M. and Robins, C.R. (1970)
- Juberthie, C. (1971)
- Taboada, G.S. (1974)
- Vina, N., Davila, Zaida and Grana, A. (1975)
- Durand, J. P. (1978)
- Cohen, D. M. and Nielsen, J. G. (1978)
- Thines, G. and Piquemal, M. (1978)
- Varela, E., Barros, O. and Jimenez, S. (1980)
- Vergara, R. (1980)
- Vergara, R. (1980)
- Nunez Jimenez, A. (1980)
- Nalbant, T. T. (1981)
- Vergara, R. (1981)
- Vergara, R. (1981)
- Wourms, J.P. (1981)
- Burgess, G.H. (1983)
- Diaz Perez, P. A., Lima, A. M. and Garcia, E. (1987)
- Burgess, G.H. and Franz, R. (1987)
- Diaz-Perez, P.A., Nieto, E. and Abio, G. (1987)
- Diaz Perez, P.A. (1988)
- Wilkens, H., Strecker, U. and Yager, J. (1989)
- Garcia Debras, A. and Perez Gonzales, A. (1992)
- Garcia Debras, A. and Perez, A. (1992)
- Garcia-Debras, A and Perez-Gonzalez, A (1992)
- Yager, J., Spokane, R. B., Bozanic, J. E., Williams, D. W. and Balado, E. (1994)
- Coy Otero, A., Garcia, N. and Ventosa, L. (1997)
- Cohen, D. M. and McCosker, J. E. (1998)
- Durand, J.P. (1998)
- Garcia Debras, A. and Gonzalez, A.P. (1999)
- Garcia, N., Coy Otero, A. and Ventosa, L. (1999)
- Nielsen, J. G., Cohen, D. M., Markle, D.F. and Robins, C. R. (1999)
- Diaz Perez, P.A. (19xx)
- Hernández, D.A. (2005)
- Garrido-Linares, M. and Acero, P. A. (2006)
- Moller, P.R., Schwarzhans, W., Iliffe, T.M. and Nielsen, J.G. (2006)
- Romero, A. (2007)
- Casane, D, Hernandez, D, Garcia, A, Chevalier-Monteagudo, P, Bernathez, L and Garcia-Machado, E (2009)
- Garcia-Machado, E., Hernandez, D., Moller, P.R., Bernatchez, L. and Casane, D. (2011)
- Garcia-Machado, E., Hernandez, D., Garcia-Debras, A., Chevalier-Monteagudo, P., Metcalfe, C., Bernatchez, L. and Casane, D. (2011)
- Faloh-Gandarilla, I., Alvarez-Lajonchere, L.S., García-Machado, E., Guiérrez de los Reyes, E., Orozco, M.V., Cortés, R., Alfonso, Y., Lemus, E., Corrada Wong, R.I., Chevalier-Monteagudo, P., Fernández Osoria, A.R., Pérez de los Reyes, R. and I. Àlvarez, S (2016)
- Hernandez, D., Casane, D., Chevalier-Monteagudo, P., Bernatchez, L. and Garcia-Machado, E. (2016)
- Moller, P.R., Knudsen, S.W., Schwarzhans, W. and Nielsen, J.G. (2016)
- Ditter, R.E., Erdman, R.B., Goebel, A.M. and Bracken-Grissom, H.D. (2019)
- Ditter, R.E., Snyder, A.P., Schulman, S.E. and Bracken-Grissom, H.D. (2019)
- Ditter, R.E., Mejía-Ortíz, L.M. and Bracken-Grissom, H.D. (2020)
Poey, F. | Book Section | 1858 | Peces ciegos de la isla de Cuba, comparados con algunas especies de distinto genero |
Lane, H. H. | Journal Article | 1903 | The ovarian structure of the viviparous blind fishes Lucifuga and Stygicola |
Lane, H. H. | Journal Article | 1908 | On the ovary and ova of the Cuban cavefishes |
Lane, H.H. | Book Section | 1909 | On the overy and ova in Lucifuga and Stygicola |
Eigenmann, C. H. | Book | 1909 | Cave vertebrates of America, a study in degenerative evolution |
Nunez Jimenez, A. | Journal Article | 1944 | Los peces ciegos en Cuba |
Cohen, D.M. and Robins, C.R. | Journal Article | 1970 | A new ophidioid fish (Genus Lucifuga) from a limestone sink, New Providence Island, Bahamas |
Juberthie, C. | Journal Article | 1971 | Notes sur l'ecologie des poissons souterraines de Cuba |
Taboada, G.S. | Book | 1974 | Sinopsis de la espeleofauna Cubana. Serie espeleologica y carsologica No. 43 |
Vina, N., Davila, Zaida and Grana, A. | Journal Article | 1975 | Contribucion al conocimiento de los peces cavernicolas de Cuba |
Durand, J. P. | Journal Article | 1978 | Phenomenes de convergences tissulaires et cytologiques, lies aux processus degeneratifs qui affectent l'oeil chez deux teleoteens cavericoles Asytyanax (Anoptichthys) mexicanus (Characidae) et Lucifuga (Stygicola) dentatus (Ophidiidae) |
Cohen, D. M. and Nielsen, J. G. | Journal Article | 1978 | Guide to the identification of genera of the fish order Ophidiiformes with a tentative classification of the order |
Thines, G. and Piquemal, M. | Journal Article | 1978 | Observations sur les comportements de Lucifuga subterranea Poey (Pisces, Ophidiidae), poisson cavernicole de Cuba |
Varela, E., Barros, O. and Jimenez, S. | Book Section | 1980 | The effects of sugar-waste disposal on a karstic limestone aquifer |
Vergara, R. | Journal Article | 1980 | Estudio fenetico de los peces ciegos del genero Lucifuga |
Vergara, R. | Journal Article | 1980 | Estudio filogenetico del los peces ciegos del genero Lucifuga (Pisces, Ophidiidae). I Sistematica filogenetica |
Nunez Jimenez, A. | Journal Article | 1980 | 40 anos explorando a Cuba |
Nalbant, T. T. | Journal Article | 1981 | A study of the subterranean species of Lucifuga from Cuba, with the description of Lucifuga simile sp. n. (Pisces, Ophidiiformes, Bythitidae) |
Vergara, R. | Journal Article | 1981 | Estudio filogenetico del los peces ciegos del genero Lucifuga (Pisces, Ophidiidae). II Bibliografia filogenetica |
Vergara, R. | Journal Article | 1981 | Estudio filogenetico del los peces ciegos del genero Lucifuga (Pisces, Ophidiidae). III Aspectos evolutivos |
Wourms, J.P. | Journal Article | 1981 | Viviparity: The maternal-fetal relationship in fishes |
Burgess, G.H. | Book Section | 1983 | Lucifuga |
Diaz Perez, P. A., Lima, A. M. and Garcia, E. | Journal Article | 1987 | Morfologia externa de ejemplares machos de Lucifuga Simile Nalbant, 1981 (Ophidiiformes, Bythitidae) |
Burgess, G.H. and Franz, R. | Book Section | 1987 | Zoogeography of the Antillean freshwater fish fauna |
Diaz-Perez, P.A., Nieto, E. and Abio, G. | Journal Article | 1987 | Peces ciegos del genero Lucifuga (Ophidiiformes, Bythitidae) en dos casimbas cubanas |
Diaz Perez, P.A. | Journal Article | 1988 | Lucifuga teresinarum sp. n. nueva especie cubana de peces troglobios (Ophidiiformes, Bythitidae) |
Wilkens, H., Strecker, U. and Yager, J. | Journal Article | 1989 | Eye reduction and phylogenetic age of ophidiiform cave fishes |
Garcia Debras, A. and Perez Gonzales, A. | Journal Article | 1992 | Nueva forma y neuva variante en la relacion de las aletas impares para Lucifuga simile Nalbant 1981 |
Garcia Debras, A. and Perez, A. | Journal Article | 1992 | Nueva forma y nueve variante en la relacion de las aletas impares para Lucifuga simile Nalbant 1981 |
Garcia-Debras, A and Perez-Gonzalez, A | Journal Article | 1992 | Nueva forma et nueva variante en la relacion de las aletas impares para Lucifuga simile Nalbant 1981 |
Yager, J., Spokane, R. B., Bozanic, J. E., Williams, D. W. and Balado, E. | Journal Article | 1994 | An ecological comparison of two anchialine caves in Cuba with emphasis on water chemistry |
Coy Otero, A., Garcia, N. and Ventosa, L. | Journal Article | 1997 | Helmintos de peces cubanos del genero Lucifuga Poey, 1858 (Ophidiiformes: Bythitidae) |
Cohen, D. M. and McCosker, J. E. | Journal Article | 1998 | A new species of Bythitid fish, genus Lucifuga, from the Galapagos Islands |
Durand, J.P. | Journal Article | 1998 | Degenerescence spontanee des yeax du poisson cavernicole Lucifuga subterraneus Poey, 1861 (Teleostei, Ophidioidei) |
Garcia Debras, A. and Gonzalez, A.P. | Journal Article | 1999 | Estudio sobre la dieta de peces Cubanos (Ophidiiformes: Bythitidae) |
Garcia, N., Coy Otero, A. and Ventosa, L. | Journal Article | 1999 | Nematodos asociados a la espeleofauna Cubana |
Nielsen, J. G., Cohen, D. M., Markle, D.F. and Robins, C. R. | Journal Article | 1999 | Ophidiiform fishes of the world (Order Ophidiiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of pearlfishes, cusk-eels, brotulas and other ophidiiform fishes known to date |
Diaz Perez, P.A. | Journal Article | 19xx | Caracteres meristicos comparados del Genero Lucifuga (Ophidiiformes, Bythitidae) |
Hernández, D.A. | Thesis | 2005 | Relaciones evolutivas de las especies del genéro Lucifuga (Ophidiiformes: Bythitidae) en Cuba |
Garrido-Linares, M. and Acero, P. A. | Journal Article | 2006 | Peces Ophidiiformes del Atlántico occidental tropical con especial énfasis en el mar Caribe colombiano |
Moller, P.R., Schwarzhans, W., Iliffe, T.M. and Nielsen, J.G. | Journal Article | 2006 | Revision of the Bahamian cave-fishes of the genus Lucifuga (Ophidiiformes, Bythitidae), with description of a new species from Islands on the Little Bahama bank |
Romero, A. | Journal Article | 2007 | The discovery of the first Cuban blind cave fish: The untold story |
Casane, D, Hernandez, D, Garcia, A, Chevalier-Monteagudo, P, Bernathez, L and Garcia-Machado, E | Journal Article | 2009 | Molecular phylogeny and phylogeography of Cuban cave fishes (genus Lucifuga) |
Garcia-Machado, E., Hernandez, D., Moller, P.R., Bernatchez, L. and Casane, D. | Journal Article | 2011 | Phylogenetic relationships among Cuban and Bahamian species of the blind cave-fishes genus Lucifuga: A shared lineage among two isoloated archipelagoes |
Garcia-Machado, E., Hernandez, D., Garcia-Debras, A., Chevalier-Monteagudo, P., Metcalfe, C., Bernatchez, L. and Casane, D. | Journal Article | 2011 | Molecular phylogeny and phylogeography of the Cuban cave-fishes of the genus Lucifuga: Evidence for cryptic allopatric diversity |
Faloh-Gandarilla, I., Alvarez-Lajonchere, L.S., García-Machado, E., Guiérrez de los Reyes, E., Orozco, M.V., Cortés, R., Alfonso, Y., Lemus, E., Corrada Wong, R.I., Chevalier-Monteagudo, P., Fernández Osoria, A.R., Pérez de los Reyes, R. and I. Àlvarez, S | Journal Article | 2016 | Catálogo ilustrado de los especímenes tipo de peces cubanos II (Osteichthyes, clase: Actinopterygii: Cyprinodontiformes, Gadiformes, Lampridiformes, Mugiliformes, Myctophiformes, Ophidiformes). |
Hernandez, D., Casane, D., Chevalier-Monteagudo, P., Bernatchez, L. and Garcia-Machado, E. | Journal Article | 2016 | Go West: A One Way Stepping-Stone Dispersion Model for the Cavefish Lucifuga dentata in Western Cuba |
Moller, P.R., Knudsen, S.W., Schwarzhans, W. and Nielsen, J.G. | Journal Article | 2016 | A new classification of viviparous brotulas (Bythitidae) – with family status for Dinematichthyidae – based on molecular, morphological and fossil data |
Ditter, R.E., Erdman, R.B., Goebel, A.M. and Bracken-Grissom, H.D. | Journal Article | 2019 | Widespread phenotypic hypervariation in the enigmatic anchialine shrimp Barbouria cubensis (Decapoda: Barbouriidae) |
Ditter, R.E., Snyder, A.P., Schulman, S.E. and Bracken-Grissom, H.D. | Journal Article | 2019 | Notes on the behavior and first records of three enigmatic anchialine shrimps (Decapoda: Caridea: Barbouriidae, Palaemonidae) in the Bahamas |
Ditter, R.E., Mejía-Ortíz, L.M. and Bracken-Grissom, H.D. | Journal Article | 2020 | Anchialine adjustments: an updated phylogeny and classification for the family Barbouriidae Christoffersen 1987 (Decapoda: Caridea) |