JAY Mathers Savage is one of the most influential living herpetologists in North America. His research, which has largely focused on the amphibians and reptiles of the Central American republic of Costa Rica (Savage, 2002), continues at a relaxed pace as he now enjoys playing golf, collecting Katsina ( = Kachina) dolls, and traveling the world to see the few places he did not visit during the course of his career. Jay's membership in the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) is a large part of his story in herpetology, and highlights of his involvement with the society will
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Systematic Biology
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DOI: 10.1643/CI-13-014
A new species of the African catfish subfamily Doumeinae of the family Amphiliidae is described from collections made in the Dimonika Biosphere Reserve in the eastern portion of the Republic of the Congo. The species, assignable to the genus Doumea, has the smallest known maximum length of the nine species of that genus. The new species is readily distinguishable from its congeners in having a relatively low number of pectoral-fin rays, vertebrae, and ribs and several morphometric features, especially those involving the caudal peduncle.
DOI: 10.1643/CI-12-028
Two species of the neopterygian genus †Lophionotus Gibson, 2013, are described. Specimens of †Lophionotus chinleana, new species, were previously and recently collected from freshwater deposits in the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation of Lisbon Valley, southeastern Utah. †Semionotus kanabensis Schaeffer and Dunkle, 1950, from lacustrine deposits in the Lower Jurassic Moenave Formation of southwestern Utah, is herein redescribed and attributed to the genus †Lophionotus, based on shared characters, including the infraorbital in the posteroventral corner of the orbit being expanded and contacting the anterior ramus of the preoperculum. Both new species of †Lophionotus are distinct from †L. sanjuanensis Gibson, 2013, in that they lack a postcranial hump, deep body, dense tuberculation, and ventrally expanded preoperculum. The addition of two new species lends to a revised generic description of the genus †Lophionotus. A phylogenetic analysis infers a monophyletic †Lophionotus sister to the genus †Semionotus, and †Lophionotus is placed within the family †Semionotidae within †Semionotiformes.
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DOI: 10.1643/CI-13-009
Acrobrycon, a genus of Neotropical freshwater fishes from the western Amazon and northwestern portions of the La Plata basin is revised. The genus is found to include three species, two of which are new to science. Acrobrycon ipanquianus is distributed from the western portions of the Río Amazonas through to the northwestern region of the Río de La Plata basin; A. starnesi, new species, in the southwestern portion of the Amazon basin in Bolivia; and A. ortii, new species, in the northwestern Río de La Plata basin in Argentina. Members of the genus are distinguished from each other on the basis of the depth at the dorsal-fin origin, the horizontal eye diameter, the least interorbital width, and the numbers of perforated lateral-line scales, anal-fin rays, and horizontal scales around the caudal peduncle. The analysis found that A. tarijae, described from the Río Lipeo in Bolivia, cannot be distinguished morphologically from A. ipanquianus; thus, A. tarijae is placed into the synonymy of A. ipanquianus. En este estudio se revisan los caracidos neotropicales del género Acrobrycon. El género incluye tres especies, dos de las cuales son nuevas para la ciencia. Acrobrycon ipanquianus se distribuye desde la cuenca oriental del Río Amazonas hasta el noroccidente de la cuenca del Río de La Plata en Argentina; A. starnesi, especie nueva, ocurre en la porción suroccidental de la cuenca del Río Amazonas en Bolivia; A. ortii, especie nueva, esta restringida al noroccidente de la cuenca del Río de La Plata en Argentina. Los miembros de Acrobrycon se diferencian entre si con base en la profundidad del origen de la aleta dorsal, el diámetro horizontal del ojo, el ancho interobital, el numero de escamas perforadas en la línea lateral, el numero de radios en la aleta anal, y el numero de escamas horizontales alrededor del pedúnculo caudal. Este análisis indica Acrobrycon ipanquianus descrita para el Río Urubamba en Peru y A. tarijae, no pueden ser diferenciados morfologicamente y por ende A. tarijae se considera un sinónimo de A. ipanquianus.
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DOI: 10.1643/CI-13-026
A new species of Hyphessobrycon Durbin is described from the Rio Teles Pires, Rio Tapajós basin, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. The new species can be distinguished from all congeners, except for Hyphessobrycon bifasciatus, H. cyanotaenia, H. heliacus, H. igneus, H. loweae, and H. peugeoti by having the distal border of the anal fin slightly convex to straight in adult males, without a distinct anterior lobe, and with last unbranched ray and first to second branched ray shorter than the subsequent branched rays. The new species can be distinguished from H. bifasciatus, H. cyanotaenia, H. heliacus, H. igneus, H. loweae, and H. peugeoti by the presence of octa- to decacuspid teeth on both dentary and inner premaxillary series (vs. tri- to heptacuspid dentary and premaxillary teeth) and dark chromatophores concentrated on the posterior border of the body scales, forming a reticulated pattern (vs. reticulated pattern absent). Uma espécie nova de Hyphessobrycon Durbin é descrita do rio Teles Pires, bacia do rio Tapajós, Mato Grosso, Brasil. A espécie nova pode ser distinguida de todas as congêneres, exceto de Hyphessobrycon bifasciatus, H. cyanotaenia, H. heliacus, H. igneus, H. loweae e H. peugeoti por possuir a borda distal da nadadeira anal ligeiramente convexa a reta nos machos adultos, sem lobo anterior distinto, e com último raio não ramificado e primeiro a segundo raios ramificados pouco mais curtos do que os raios subsequentes. A espécie nova pode ser distinguida de H. bifasciatus, H. cyanotaenia, H. heliacus, H. igneus, H. loweae e H. peugeoti por apresentar dentes do dentário e da serie interna do pré-maxilar octa- a decacuspidados (vs. dentes do dentário e pré-maxilar tri- a heptacuspidados) e cromatóforos concentrados na borda posterior das escamas do corpo, formando um padrão reticulado (vs. padrão reticulado ausente).
DOI: 10.1643/CI-12-166
Morphological variation among populations of Percina peltata (Shield Darter) from streams in Maryland and Pennsylvania was examined, with particular emphasis on comparing a geographically isolated, lowland population on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay (Choptank River basin) that has been excluded from previous systematic works on other upland populations of this species from west and north of the Chesapeake Bay. Statistically significant morphometric differences were observed between the isolated population and other populations examined, with measurements of eye diameter and the distance between the posterior of the first dorsal fin and the anterior and posterior bases of the anal fin explaining the most variation between populations. No differences in meristics were found. The morphological distinctness and geographic isolation of the Choptank River population of P. peltata, in conjunction with the threatened status of the species in Maryland, suggest special emphasis should be given to conserving this unique component of the biodiversity of the Chesapeake Bay.
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DOI: 10.1643/CI-12-127
Cyphocharax aninha, new species, is described from the Rio Mopeco, a left tributary of the Rio Paru, left of the lower Rio Amazonas. Cyphocharax aninha differs from its congeners by having the infraorbital sensory canal absent or greatly reduced, even in large individuals (more than 30.0 mm SL), and fleshy or osseous canal restricted to infraorbital 5; the presence of a broad ellipsoid, vertical elongate spot over the caudal peduncle and the base of the caudal-fin rays, between the dorsal and ventral margins of the caudal peduncle. The new species can also be distinguished from all congeners by the combination of morphometric, meristic, and pigmentation characters. Comments on other small species and possible relationships of the new species with its congeners are presented.
Cyphocharax aninha, nova espécie, é descrita do Rio Mopeco, afluente esquerdo do Rio Paru, afluente esquerdo do baixo Amazonas. Cyphocharax aninha difere de seus congêneres por apresentar canal sensorial infraorbital ausente ou extremamente reduzido em indivíduos de grande porte (mais de 30.0 mm SL), recoberto por pele, restrito ao infraorbitais 5; pela presença de uma mancha ampla, elipsóide, verticalmente alongada sobre o pedúnculo caudal e a base dos raios da nadadeira caudal, que se estende do perfil dorsal ao ventral do pedúnculo caudal, formando uma barra. A nova espécie difere também pela ocorrência simultânea de caracteres morfométricos, merísticos e de padrão de coloração. Comentários sobre espécies de pequeno porte e possíveis relações da nova espécie com seus congêneres são apresentados.
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DOI: 10.1643/CH-12-102
A new species of Trachycephalus from the Brazilian Amazon Rain Forest, morphologically similar to T. hadroceps (Duellman and Hoogmoed), is described. This new species is characterized by having the skin not co-ossified with the skull; skin on dorsum bearing many low and medium round tubercles; a vocal sac not externally visible; well-developed paratoid gland; snout rounded in profile; third finger disc almost the same size of the eye; absence of tarsal fold; iris pinkish-beige with a horizontal dark gray bar; dorsal color pattern in life light brownish-orange with scattered brown dots. Trachycephalus hadroceps is restricted to the left margin (north) of the Amazon River, in the Guiana Shield, and possibly in the adjacent Brazilian Amazon Rain Forest, and the new species occurs on the right margin (south) of the Amazon River. It is a canopy treefrog, which probably uses treeholes filled with water as breeding sites.
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DOI: 10.1643/CI-13-027
Listrura depinnai, new species, is described from a small swampy area belonging to Laguna dos Patos system, Municipality of Viamão, Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil. It occurs within the wildlife reserve Refúgio de Vida Silvestre Banhado dos Pachecos, and represents the southernmost record of the glanapterygine catfishes. The new species is easily distinguished from remaining Listrura by having the following putative autapomorphies: the region below the midline of flank covered by several spots (vs. unpigmented or with a slender row of small spots); the caudal peduncle at procurrent-ray folds deeper than the preanal portion of body (vs. approximately the same depth); and the presence of a conspicuous intumescence adjacent to the posterodorsal margin of the pectoral-fin base (vs. swelling slight or absent). Putative phylogenetic positions of Listrura depinnai are herein discussed.
Listrura depinnai, espécie nova, é descrita de uma pequena área alagada pertencente ao sistema da Laguna dos Patos, Município de Viamão, Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, sul do Brasil. A espécie ocorre dentro da unidade de conservação Refúgio de Vida Silvestre Banhado dos Pachecos, e representa o registro mais ao sul dos bagres glanapterigíneos. A nova espécie é facilmente distinguida das demais espécies de Listrura pelas possíveis autapomorfias a seguir: região abaixo da linha mediana do flanco coberta por várias pintas (vs. despigmentada ou com uma faixa de pequenas pintas); pedúnculo caudal na região das membranas dos raios procurrentes mais alto do que a porção pré-anal do corpo (vs. aproximadamente a mesma altura); e presença de uma conspícua intumescência adjacente à margem póstero-dorsal da base da nadadeira peitoral (vs. levemente inchada ou ausente). Possíveis posições filogenéticas de Listrura depinnai são aqui discutidas.
Life History, Behavior, and Ecology
DOI: 10.1643/CE-12-104
Sex ratios among anurans at breeding sites are routinely observed to be skewed toward males, which has implications for the strength of sexual selection in these animals. However, the relative numbers of males and females observed at breeding sites also depends upon their relative conspicuousness and the physical sex ratio of the adult population as a whole, which includes animals not present at breeding sites. Using intensive capture–recapture methods, I estimated abundances of both sexes of Fowler's Toads in a population at Long Point, Ontario, over a span of 14 years (1998 to 2011, incl.). Although males greatly outnumbered females at breeding sites, persisted there for longer periods of time, and were more readily re-captured, both sexes could be found in their lakeshore non-breeding habitat with equivalent reliability. Estimates of abundance were calculated for each sex based on 3,162 total captures of 686 females and 982 males. The abundances of males and females each year were not significantly different (P = 0.738), which was consistent with a 1∶1 physical sex ratio. Both sexes also exhibited large, but strongly correlated (P << 0.001; R2 = 0.838), variations in their abundance over the 14 yrs. Only 39% of total estimated males were found at breeding sites. The ratio of males at breeding sites to total males declined significantly (P = 0.002; R2 = 0.542) over the 14-year study, in parallel with a diminishing availability of breeding sites.
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DOI: 10.1643/CE-12-175
Movement and longevity studies inform management and conservation plans for imperiled organisms. We used a mark–recapture study to reveal information about these key biological characteristics for imperiled Okaloosa Darters (Etheostoma okaloosae). Okaloosa Darters were captured from 20 m reaches at six separate streams, marked with VIE on the left or right dorsum according to the side of the stream from which they were captured, and released on the same side where they were captured. Okaloosa Darters were recounted (but not recaptured) at 24 h and one month, and then recaptured once per year for the following eight years. During the final recapture year, we measured standard length of all Okaloosa Darters and constructed length frequency distributions to identify distinct cohorts. We found that significant numbers of Okaloosa Darters remained within their 20 m reaches after 24 h (31%), one month (45%), and one year (22%) and rarely crossed open, sandy stream channels from one side to the other. Our recapture data and length frequency distributions indicate that Okaloosa Darters live longer than the 2–3 years suggested by previous authors. One of our recaptured fish was at least eight years old, making Okaloosa Darters the most long-lived etheostomine.
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DOI: 10.1643/CI-13-023
The deep-sea goosefish Sladenia shaefersi Caruso and Bullis, now known from only six specimens in collections around the world, appears to be more common than once thought, as indicated by recent in-situ observations off the southeastern United States and in the northern Gulf of Mexico. These sightings have provided new information on geographic distribution, behavior, and habitat, plus evidence for an extreme size difference between putative males and females.
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DOI: 10.1643/CI-13-035
A sexually parasitized female of the deep-sea ceratioid anglerfish Centrophryne spinulosa is described for the first time, bringing the number of ceratioid species known to exhibit sexual parasitism to 24 and the number of ceratioid families to six. The attached pair represents the largest known individuals of both sexes. The extreme and puzzling rarity of parasitized females in some of the best known ceratioid species is discussed. While it has been hypothesized that some ceratioid taxa reproduce solely by temporary male–female attachment, it now seems reasonable to expect the eventual discovery of parasitized females in any of the remaining ceratioid taxa.
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DOI: 10.1643/CH-12-129
The ability to track individual animals is crucial in many field studies and often requires applying marks to captured individuals. Toe clipping has historically been a standard marking method for wild amphibian populations, but more recent marking methods include visual implant elastomer and photo identification. Unfortunately, few studies have investigated the influence and effectiveness of marking methods for recently metamorphosed individuals and as a result little is known about this life-history phase for most amphibians. Our focus was to explore survival probabilities, mark retention, and mark migration in postmetamorphic Boreal Chorus Frogs (Psuedacris maculata) in a laboratory setting. One hundred forty-seven individuals were assigned randomly to two treatment groups or a control group. Frogs in the first treatment group were marked with visual implant elastomer, while frogs in the second treatment group were toe clipped. Growth and mortality were recorded for one year and resulting data were analyzed using known-fate models in Program MARK. Model selection results suggested that survival probabilities of frogs varied with time and showed some variation among marking treatments. We found that frogs with multiple toes clipped on the same foot had lower survival probabilities than individuals in other treatments, but individuals can be marked by clipping a single toe on two different feet without any mark loss or negative survival effects. Individuals treated with visual implant elastomer had a mark migration rate of 4% and mark loss rate of 6%, and also showed very little negative survival impacts relative to control individuals.
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DOI: 10.1643/CE-13-003
Reproductive isolation due to divergent selection is thought to be one of the mechanisms that promote speciation in sympatry. A key element of reproductive isolation is assortative mating. We examined a polymorphic population of Eastern Red-backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) for evidence of reproductive isolation through assortative mating. Our study population was made up of two common color morphs, striped and unstriped. In the field, we turned over natural cover objects to find male–female pairs of P. cinereus during peak mating season. We recorded sex, color morphology, and snout–vent length of 112 pairs of salamanders. Estimates of sexual isolation indicated weak assortative pairing in the field with more same-color pairs than expected by chance. Striped females paired with striped males were significantly larger in size than those paired with unstriped males. Intermorph pairs were observed and such pairings, if successful, would interfere with the potential for divergence. Laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the ability of females of each color morph to distinguish between the two phenotypes through fecal odors and male scent. Additionally, mating trials were conducted to examine assortative mating in the laboratory. We found no evidence that scent or natural diet cues (fecal odors) of males contributed to assortative pairing, but females of both phenotypes were more likely to be associated with striped males during mating trials. Our study provides additional evidence that striped males of P. cinereus may be more attractive to females and this may contribute to positive assortative mating in the field. Territoriality and diet may be important factors that influence this pattern.
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DOI: 10.1643/CE-11-098
Tropical rainforests often appear relatively homogeneous on satellite images, but responses to landscape characteristics may be found on finer scales if habitat characteristics are considered as continuous variables. In this study, we used 30 uniformly distributed plots and 16 plots beside streams to evaluate the effects of distance from stream, litter depth, altitude, slope, and tree density on abundance of Amazonian Lancehead Pitviper (Bothrops atrox). We estimated densities and probabilities of detection of snakes in riparian and upland plots in Reserva Ducke, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Apparent density of individuals of B. atrox was about 6.4 times higher near streams, but the number of individuals in the landscape more than 10 m away from streams was about 3.9 times higher than the number of individuals within 10 m of streams. Movement data from two adult B. atrox evaluated by radio telemetry indicate that individuals can disperse out of plots and away from streams over a period of several months. Detectability of B. atrox varied little among riparian and upland plots, so differences in detectability are unlikely to be responsible for large differences in encounter rates of snakes between riparian and non-riparian areas. There were small differences in body size of individuals near streams and individuals far from streams. The distribution of B. atrox is not uniform within the forest. However, as with most other tropical-forest organisms studied to date, this species occurs across wide environmental gradients and shows only subtle habitat specificity.
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DOI: 10.1643/CE-13-019
Increasing evidence suggests that contaminants in the environment can have important consequences on organismal interactions. While we have a good understanding of the lethal effects of contaminants on organisms, we have a weak understanding of how contaminants can affect organisms by altering the interactions that they have with other species in the community. Using tadpoles of two anuran species (Bullfrogs, Lithobates [Rana] catesbeianus; Green Frogs, L. clamitans), we investigated the effects of low nominal concentrations (1 and 10 ppb) of two pesticides (malathion and endosulfan) on tadpole activity and survival when exposed to four predator treatments (no predators; water bugs, Belostoma flumineum; newts, Notophthalmus viridescens; and dragonfly larvae, Anax junius). In both anuran species, adding predators reduced tadpole activity and survival, with increasing rates of mortality occurring with water bugs, newts, and dragonflies, respectively. Additionally, the highest concentration of endosulfan caused tadpole mortality after 48 hrs. Most significant, tadpole species also experienced interactive effects of predators and pesticides on survival after 48 hrs. In Bullfrog treatments, all predators reduced the amount of tadpole mortality when exposed to endosulfan. In Green Frogs, additive negative effects occurred, except that newts increased the tadpole mortality when exposed to endosulfan. Our findings illustrate that pesticide effects on predator–prey interactions are often complex and have the potential to alter aquatic community composition.
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DOI: 10.1643/CE-12-053
The way animals allocate resources to growth and reproduction is of major importance in understanding life-history trade-offs. Because the investment in reproduction of the two sexes differs, comparing the costs and the reproductive strategies adopted offers an insight into the evolutionary forces that shaped them. In the Eastern Spadefoot Toad, Pelobates syriacus the males are larger than females in body length, but not in body mass. We studied the reproductive effort and output in a population of P. syriacus from the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (Romania), during two consecutive years (2010 and 2011). Body mass loss during mating and egg deposition in females averaged 27%, while in males it was 3.9%. Body mass loss in females was proportional with size, with larger females losing more weight than smaller ones. Initial body mass and body mass loss during reproduction were significantly correlated with clutch size, but egg size was not correlated to female size or body mass loss. Year had a significant effect on body size in both sexes, suggesting high plasticity and the effect of local environmental factors on growth and reproduction. Age of adults ranged between 2–12 years and did not differ significantly between sexes. A nonrandom, but not completely assortative, mating was observed, with the age and body size of paired animals slightly positively correlated, indicating an explosive breeder reproductive strategy.
Physiology and Physiological Ecology
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DOI: 10.1643/OT-13-005
The Tamaulipan rock rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus morulus) is a small, cold-tolerant, mountain rattlesnake that occupies the Sierra Madre Oriental in southwestern Tamaulipas, central Nuevo Leon, and southeastern Coahuila in Mexico. The aim of the present study was to analyze and compare the protein profile and proteolytic activity of 16 individual and four pooled (representative of four regions Galeana, Santiago, Zaragoza, and Tamaulipas) venom samples of C. l. morulus from snakes collected in the northeast of Mexico. Individual and pooled venoms of C. l. morulus were analyzed by SDS-PAGE, gelatinolytic, and fibrinogenolytic assays. Additionally, the four pooled venoms were tested by 2-D electrophoresis and caseinolytic and hemorrhagic assays. Individually, venoms of C. l. morulus showed variation in their electrophoretic profile and proteolytic activity without an evident geographic trend. When comparing the pooled samples, venom from the south portion of the range (Zaragoza and Tamaulipas) showed higher proteolytic activity than samples from the central and north portion of the range (Galeana and Santiago, respectively). Furthermore, pooled venoms of C. l. morulus showed lower variation in electrophoretic profile than individual venoms. It is important to note that this is the first report of protein profile and enzymatic activities of venom of C. l. morulus.
Population Biology
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DOI: 10.1643/CE-12-091
The conditions experienced early in development can have long-term effects on an organism's phenotype and performance. We tested whether variation in canopy cover over natural wetlands affected the metamorphic size, shape, and locomotor performance of Wood Frogs (Rana sylvatica) that had developed in those wetlands as larvae. Additionally, we tested if variation in locomotor performance was mediated through larval-environment effects on frog size and shape. We captured metamorphosing frogs as they emerged from open-canopy and closed-canopy ponds, and measured locomotor performance, body length, and hindlimb length. Frogs that had developed in closed canopy ponds tended to jump greater distances than those from open-canopy ponds. The difference in jumping performance was associated with differences in body size, but not limb length. This demonstrates that canopy cover does generate carryover effects in nature. However, these effects were driven entirely by environment-induced variation in size at metamorphosis, rather than variation in relative limb-length or other variables.
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DOI: 10.1643/CG-12-122
We investigated genetic variability in 101 individuals of the Cagle's Map Turtle (Graptemys caglei) collected from across most of its extant distribution in the Guadalupe River and from a site on the San Marcos River of Texas. Analyses of allelic variation in microsatellite loci indicated individuals from the San Marcos River were genetically similar to conspecifics from the middle Guadalupe River. Turtles from the upper Guadalupe River, on the other hand, were genetically divergent from middle Guadalupe River individuals. Isolation by distance appears to play a major role in genetic structuring within the Guadalupe River. Anthropogenic features (e.g., dams and reservoirs), while they may be expected to restrict gene flow, appear to have had little impact on genetic structure.
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DOI: 10.1643/CI-13-036
California Grunion Leuresthes tenuis, a beach spawning marine teleost, was described from a specimen purchased at a San Francisco market in 1859, but not subsequently seen there for 140 years. From 2001–2007, L. tenuis spawned on beaches in San Francisco Bay (SFB, 37°45′N, 122°15′W) at multiple locations, but disappeared after 2008. In 2005, L. tenuis started spawning for the first time on a beach in Tomales Bay (TB, 38°14′N, 122°58′W), 64 km north of SFB, but this population disappeared after 2009. Adult size, clutch volumes, and egg diameters of L. tenuis in SFB were consistently smaller than L. tenuis from southern California, though the population was not genetically distinct. Population size structure suggests few L. tenuis survived more than one year in these northern bays, rather than the two or three years expected in the typical southern California habitat. Climate change models predict conditions supporting poleward expansion of ranges of marine organisms, but colonization of northern habitats by this beach spawning species resulted in significant phenotypic changes including smaller size, shorter life span, and reduced reproductive output. The multiple environmental challenges and rapid extirpation of two disjunct colonization events indicate this species will require repeated events for habitat expansion to succeed.
Morphology and Development
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DOI: 10.1643/CI-13-022
Morphology frequently varies with phylogeny, body size, sex, and phenotypic plasticity. However, the relative influence of these variables is unknown for most taxa. Morphological variation of Freshwater Drum Aplodinotus grunniens in the Wabash River, USA was described using geometric morphometrics. A MANCOVA model of shape indicated that morphological variation was primarily influenced by allometry (body size), sex, and river location. Among all individuals, at least 50% of the variability in morphology was a product of body size while sex and river km (collection locale) accounted for 10% and 5% of the overall variability in shape, respectively. However, when mature and immature individuals were analyzed separately, mature individuals demonstrated no morphological signal concurrent with river km, while at least 45% of the variability in immature shape was attributed to river locale. The contributions of allometry, sex, and river gradient on Freshwater Drum morphology suggest that morphological variation is largely a result of a combination of developmental, sexual, and environmental influences.
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DOI: 10.1643/CG-13-038
Clinch Dace (Chrosomus sp. cf. saylori) is a rare species of minnow with fragmented populations occurring in the upper Clinch River watershed in Virginia. Major morphological and life history characteristics have not been described for Clinch Dace, and evidence that Clinch Dace is a new species is largely anecdotal. Here, we compare Clinch Dace morphometric and meristic characteristics to those of closely related congeners and test for sexual and ontogenetic changes in morphology. We also determined diet preference through gut content analysis. We conclude that Clinch Dace are morphologically distinct from congeners, and that there are changes in morphology attributable to sex and ontogenetic development. This study suggests that Clinch Dace is a distinct species, and isolation of Clinch Dace from congeners has led to distinct, measurable differences in morphology. Furthermore, digestive anatomy of Clinch Dace combined with a diet high in macroinvertebrates suggests that Clinch Dace occupy a trophic niche that is atypical for Chrosomus.
Obituaries
DOI: 10.1643/OT-13-102
ON April 18, 2012, Russia and the world lost its leading expert on flyingfishes (Exocoetidae), cutlassfishes (Trichiuroidei), and other deep sea and pelagic fishes, and we lost a beloved colleague, Nik Parin of the P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Fig. 1). He survived a stroke in February 2006 and was in poor health, suffering from cancer until his death in Moscow. He is survived by his devoted wife Olga Vladimirovna Parina and his son Nikolai Nikolaiovich Parin and family with two grandchildren.
Book Reviews
DOI: 10.1643/OT-13-034
Have you ever wondered…?—Aaron Bauer, like all good naturalists, has sought answers to nearly every imaginable question one could ask about his favored group of animals, geckos. Detailed answers are hidden in the vast scientific literature, a literature that requires a solid scientific background to digest. Much of this highly technical research has been published by Aaron, and no one would dispute that Aaron is the world expert on geckos. In Geckos: The Animal Answer Guide, Aaron brings the vast technical literature to the public in an engaging and readable fashion. It is a breath of fresh air
DOI: 10.1643/OT-13-073.1
I once asked my Australian Wildlife Biology class the question, “Why are the vast majority of Australian lizards brown?” The obvious answer is that Australia is a dry, brown continent and that lizards have evolved concealing coloration. Both the question and answer belie a fascinating complexity and diversity of animal color patterns and the evolutionary processes generating and maintaining them. Nevertheless, the implication is that concealing coloration is both ubiquitous and central to understanding animal diversity, a view eloquently argued by Judy Diamond and Alan Bond in their new book. Diamond and Bond provide a compelling overview of the evolution
DOI: 10.1643/OT-13-079
From early in the history of evolutionary thought “trees” have played an important role in the interpretation and communication of the relationships among species. In fact, Charles Darwin envisaged evolution having a tree-like form, with connecting branches representing common ancestry (Darwin, 1859:117). However, it is in recent decades that phylogenetic trees have become a fundamental part of evolutionary biology, largely as a result of the rapid expansion of genetic techniques and research. Phylogenetics now pervades a broad cross-section of disciplines, including systematics, comparative evolution, co-evolution, historical biogeography, and community evolution, just to name a few. Despite the central
DOI: 10.1643/OT-13-052.1
Conceived as a supplement to Fishes of Chesapeake Bay (Murdy et al., 1997), this handsome volume treats in some detail 211 of the fish species known to occur in Chesapeake Bay (i.e., those fishes commonly found in salinities of 5% or higher seaward to a line between the Virginia capes–Charles and Henry). Fittingly this book is dedicated to John Edward Olney, Sr. (1947–2010), professor and chair, Department of Fisheries Science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, who made major contributions to systematics and ecology of fishes and to fisheries management (see Hilton et al.,
DOI: 10.1643/OT-13-084.1
Some 40 years after the first edition, UC Press has come up with a new regional field guide, with Robert Stebbins now assisted by his former student Sam McGinnis. This book covers less than 10% of the area of Stebbins's iconic field guide in the Peterson series (1966, 1985, 2003), but is actually a few pages longer, and departs from that format by placing text, maps, and illustrations together for each species account. At first glance the principal illustrations are the same, new photographs are inserted, the range maps are crudely redrawn, and the taxonomy is updated, or not, in a
The author, Brain Saunders, has done a remarkable job of compiling a detailed account of the contributions to Australian ichthyology from pre-1800 to 1930. This chronicle of history in itself is of great importance to the field of ichthyology and a fine achievement. However, it is the details of the life and times of those individuals, the institutions, and the voyages of discovery that developed the field and described the amazing diversity of Australian fishes that will be of interest to many readers. There is an excellent balance between the details provided about the development of fish taxonomy and description
Editorial Notes and News
DOI: 10.1643/OT-13-115
DURING the 2013 meetings of the ASIH Executive Committee and the Publications Policy Committee (PPC), it became clear that there is nearly consensus support throughout the society for online early publication of papers that have been accepted for publication in Copeia. The Publication Policy Committee discussed this issue thoroughly at the 2013 meeting, and this topic has been in discussion for several years. I have had many discussions with (1) the staff at Allen Press and (2) with Production Editor Katie Smith and Figure Editor W. Leo Smith. It hasCOPEIA WILL BEGIN ONLINE EARLY PUBLISHING IN 2014
Student Awards
DOI: 10.1643/OT-13-115b
GAIGE Awards are presented annually in honor of Frederick (Dick) and Helen Gaige, both of whom lived during the years 1890–1976. Dick Gaige, an entomologist, was also an avid herpetological collector and was director of the Museum of Zoology at the University of Michigan from 1928–1945. Helen Gaige was a herpetologist with an interest in Neotropical frogs. She served as herpetological editor of Copeia from 1930–1937 and as editor in chief from 1937–1950. This unsurpassed editorial service earned Helen the title of Honorary ASIH President for HerpetologyGAIGE AWARD COMPETITION—CALL FOR PROPOSALS FROM STUDENT MEMBERS—SUPPORTING RESEARCH IN HERPETOLOGY
Summary of the Meetings 2013
DOI: 10.1643/OT-13-107
THE 93rd annual meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) was held at the Albuquerque Convention Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico from 10–15 July 2013 in conjunction with the 29th annual meeting of the American Elasmobranch Society (AES), the 71st annual meeting of the Herpetologists' League (HL), the 56th annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR), and the annual meeting of the Neotropical Ichthyological Association. President William Matthews called the 2013 meeting of the ASIH Board ofBOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING: 10 JULY 2013
An Evening with John Nichols
DOI: 10.1643/OT-13-108
On the hot Albuquerque evening of 12 July 2013, John Nichols, the grandson of Copeia and ASIH founder John Treadwell Nichols, gave a wonderful reminiscence of his interactions with his grandfather and his father. It seems appropriate that this talk—presented here in full—be recorded as the final writing of the final issue celebrating the first century of Copeia. This evening lecture was given for the annual Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. It was arranged by the local committee in Albuquerque and with special efforts by Steven Platania. There was standing room only. Fittingly, the front row was reserved for and occupied by Nichols' family. They were applauded nearly as loudly and warmly as John was. It was a great, great night.—Ed.
Index
DOI: 10.1643/OT-13-138
Acrobrycon ortii 604–611 starnesi 604–611 Arapaima leptosoma 470–475 Caristius digitus 425–432 meridionalis 426–431, 432 Characidium amaila 454–463 papachibe 52–57 Cyphocharax aninha 627–633 Doumea skeltoni 577–581 Hemigrammocharax rubensteini 31–37 Hyphessobrycon kayabi 613–618 Hypomasticus lineomaculatus 464–468 Hypopygus benoneae 232–237 Incilius majordomus 9–10 Leporinus parvulus 241–244 Listrura depinnai 641–646 †Lophionotus chinleana 582–603 Microcaecilia savagei 223, 225–226, 228–229 Oreolalax sterlingae 214–221 Oryzias asinua 403–414 wolasi 403–414 Parotocinclus NEW NAMES
Subject Index
DOI: 10.1643/OT-13-142
ACTIVITY, Montivipera raddei (spatial ecology; movement) 64–71; Dendrophidion dendrophis, Mastigodryas bifossatus (pseudoautotomy) 132–141; Actinemys marmorata (seasonal migration) 142–153; Psammophylax r. rhombeatus (spatial ecology; movement; sexual differences) 194–200; Ambystoma (laterale-jeffersonianum complex) (spatial ecology; habitat selection) 254–261; Crotalus o. oreganus (spatial ecology; movement; reproduction) 485–492; Thalassoma bifasciatum (larval settlement; spawning) 493–498; Heterodon platirhinos (road crossing; avoidance) 507–511; Fundulus heteroclitus (spawning in lab environment) 527–538; Lithobates areolatus (call surveying) 552–561; Lithobates (catesbeianus,
Volume Contents
DOI: 10.1643/OT-13-129
Abrahão, Carlos R. (see de Fraga, Rafael) Acord, Megan A., Carl D. Anthony, and Cari-Ann M. Hickerson. Assortative Mating in a Polymorphic Salamander 676 Aghasyan, Aram L. (see Ettling, Jeffery A.) Aghasyan, Levon A. (see Ettling, Jeffery A.) Agorastos, Stergiani (see Aguirre, Windsor E.) Agudelo-Zamora, Henry (see Lujan, Nathan K.) Aguirre, Windsor E., Virginia R. Shervette, Ronald Navarrete, Paola Calle, and Stergiani Agorastos. Morphological and Genetic Divergence of Hoplias microlepis (Characiformes: Erythrinidae) in Rivers and Artificial
Temperature Manipulation Induces Ecdysis in Lab-Held Rattlesnakes
Maxwell D. Carnes-Mason and
Steven J. Beaupre
Integrative Taxonomy Reveals a New Species of Imparfinis (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) from the Upper Xingu River Basin
Gabriel de Souza da Costa e Silva,
Mark Henry Sabaj,
Kaylane Rodrigues de Carvalho, and
Claudio Oliveira
A New Species of Psalidodon (Characiformes: Acestrorhamphidae) from the Upper Rio São Francisco Basin, Brazil, with Comments on Hasemania
Tulio F. Teixeira,
Gilberto N. Salvador,
Juan Marcos Mirande, and
Flávio C. T. Lima
SUMMARY OF THE MEETINGS
Mark Sabaj
Illuminating the Early Life of Salamanders: Exploring Biofluorescence During Development
Jennifer Y. Lamb,
Holden Cooper,
Alexander Seymour,
Matthew P. Davis, and
Lynne Beaty
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