Ichthyology & Herpetology Volume 113: Issue 1

Males of some species of Eurycea exhibit gross morphological shape changes of their heads throughout the year because of hypertrophy of jaw musculature during the mating season, although glandular swelling of the integument has not been rejected for all taxa. We assessed head shape variation of a species from the Eurycea quadridigitata complex, E. chamberlaini, throughout the year to examine seasonal variation in head shape in a diminutive species where this has never been reported. We found that male specimens differed from females in terms of morphospace and, similar to other species of Eurycea, male heads were wider posterior to the orbital region relative to anterior. Interestingly, we also recovered the same result for females, demonstrating that head shape varies seasonally in both sexes of E. chamberlaini. Collectively, these results indicate that hypertrophy and atrophy of jaw muscles, or potentially integumentary glands, not only occurs in males and females of the Eurycea bislineata complex, but also may be more ubiquitous within the genus. The previous lack of this observation within the E. quadridigitata complex is most likely the result of difficulty in observing head shape variation in a diminutive species similar to E. chamberlaini without the use of large datasets and morphometric analysis.

Dussumieria apollo, new species, is described based on 34 specimens collected from the southern coast of Papua New Guinea and northern coast of Australia. The unique combination of characters including forms of body scales (numerous longitudinal striae on posterior part), teeth on mouth roof (numerous rows of conical teeth on anterior parts of palatine and pterygoids forming a band), deep body, low number of gill rakers, and several proportional measurements separated the new species from all congeners. To evaluate the validity of the new species, four barcode sequences (three of them newly determined for this study) of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene were compared with those of 35 specimens belonging to seven other valid species of Dussumieria. Our molecular analysis corroborated the validity of D. apollo, new species, which forms a monophyletic group diverging from any congener by >8.0% mean uncorrected genetic distances.

The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is one of the most abundant vertebrate species in the forests of eastern North America and is considered an important species for ecological processes. Two phenotypes most commonly coexist in most populations, but in different proportions: the red-backed (striped) and lead-backed (unstriped) morphs. Recent large-scale studies suggested that both color morphs of P. cinereus occur in and beyond the species’ current northern range. The presence of lead-backed morphs in this area would contradict some previous studies that link the lead-backed morph with warmer conditions. To test this hypothesis, we conducted inventories in the boreal forest of northwestern Quebec (Canada), outside or at the edge of the species’ known northern range, where temperatures are among the coldest encountered by this species. We documented 11 sites with the lead-backed morph, including five sites in the Parent area that fill a large gap in the species’ known distribution. Among the latter, we found three distinct populations in which the lead-backed morph reached frequencies of 43–96%. These occurrences of P. cinereus are noteworthy given the harsh climatic conditions that prevail throughout the year and the recurrence of large-scale disturbances in these far-north forests. Although a previous study observed relatively high frequencies of the lead-backed morph in the northern part of the species’ range, this is the first report of such high frequency findings so far north, outside of the known species’ range. Our findings agree with the mounting evidence that variation in color morph frequency is not related only to temperature or shifts in climate.

ICHTHYOLOGY & HERPETOLOGY EDITORIAL STAFF

Editor

Terry Grande, Loyola University Chicago, tgrande@luc.edu

Editorial Office

Production Editor.—

Kathleen R. Smith, katie@ichsandherps.org

Illustration Editor.—

Matthew G. Girard, Smithsonian Institution, matt@ichsandherps.org

Associate Editors: Scientific editors handling research and review articles.

Mia Adreani, California State University, Northridge, madreani@csun.edu

Catherine Bevier, Colby College, catherine.bevier@colby.edu

Matthew T. Craig, NOAA NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center, matthew.craig@noaa.gov

Jon Davenport, Appalachian State University, davenportjm@appstate.edu

Matthew P. Davis, St. Cloud State University, mpdavis@stcloudstate.edu

Julián Faivovich, División Herpetología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias

NEW NAMES

Curculionichthys monolechishttps://doi.org/10.1643/i2023051, 60–67

Cylix nkosihttps://doi.org/10.1643/i2023053, 315–327

Eptatretus bahamensishttps://doi.org/10.1643/i2023055, 180–185

Gigantactis parescahttps://doi.org/10.1643/i2023056, 153–155

Limnonectes cassiopeiahttps://doi.org/10.1643/h2022094, 271–286

Nannocharax skeltonihttps://doi.org/10.1643/i2023041, 157–164

Ophisternon berlinihttps://doi.org/10.1643/i2024055, 376–388

Pareiorhaphis torrenticolahttps://doi.org/10.1643/i2023058, 69–75

Phenacogaster

guayupehttps://doi.org/10.1643/i2023094, 619–644

nukakhttps://doi.org/10.1643/i2023094, 619–644

tukanohttps://doi.org/10.1643/i2023094, 619–644

yarihttps://doi.org/10.1643/i2023094, 619–644

Rineloricaria

atratoensishttps://doi.org/10.1643/i2023091, 429–443

giuahttps://doi.org/10.1643/i2023091, 429–443

Scinax ritaleeaehttps://doi.org/10.1643/h2024012, 399–411

NEW AND ESTABLISHED NAMES

Abyssocottinae https://doi.org/10.1643/t2024089, 530

Acanthistius patachonicushttps://doi.org/10.1643/i2023083

Seasonal Dynamics of Head Shape in Eurycea chamberlaini (Caudata, Plethodontidae, Spelerpini)

A New Species of Rainbow Sardine in the Genus Dussumieria (Teleostei: Clupeiformes: Dussumieriidae) from New Guinea and Australia

Discovery of Populations of the Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) with High Frequencies of the Lead-Backed Morph Beyond the Species’ Northern Range Limit

Description of the Sicklefin Redhorse (Catostomidae: Moxostoma)

New Species of the Genus Hypanus (Dasyatidae) from the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean

A New and Unique Species of Ricefish (Teleostei: Adrianichthyidae: Oryzias) from the Lariang River Basin, Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the First Known Sympatric Ricefish Species Pair from Sulawesi Rivers

Mass Mortality in a Community of Headstarted (Emydoidea blandingii) and Naturally Occurring (Chrysemys picta marginata) Freshwater Turtles in Protected Urban Wetlands

First Documentation of Pelagic Larvae of Prickly Sculpin Cottus asper in Willamette Basin Reservoirs Using a Novel Light Trapping Method

Long-Term Changes in Fish Assemblage Structure Associated with Hydrological Alteration in the Lower Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte (USA/Mexico)

Illuminating the Early Life of Salamanders: Exploring Biofluorescence During Development

Morphological Differentiation Between Introduced and Native Populations of Three Species of Cichlid (Perciformes)

A New Species of Psalidodon (Characiformes: Acestrorhamphidae) from the Upper Rio São Francisco Basin, Brazil, with Comments on Hasemania

Integrative Taxonomy Reveals a New Species of Imparfinis (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) from the Upper Xingu River Basin

Imparfinis

Species of the Eel Family Colocongridae (Order Anguilliformes), with Description of a New Species

Cristina Cox Fernandes, Ph.D.

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EDUCATION & PREVIOUS APPOINTMENTS

Danielle Rivera, Ph.D.

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EDUCATION & PREVIOUS APPOINTMENTS

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Book Reviews

Lost Frogs and Hot Snakes: Herpetologists’ Tales from the Field

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