Go West: A One Way Stepping-Stone Dispersion Model for the Cavefish Lucifuga dentata in Western Cuba

Abstract

Consistent with the limited dispersal capacity of most troglobitic animals, almost all Lucifuga cavefish species have very narrow geographic distribution in Cuba. However, one species, L. dentata, has a wide but disjointed distribution over 300 km in the west of the island. In order to estimate the relative role of vicariance and dispersal in the unexpected L. dentata distribution, we obtained partial sequences of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b (cytb) gene and control region (CR), and then applied Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC), based on the identification of five genetic and geographic congruent groups of populations. The process that best explains the distribution of genetic diversity in this species is sequential range expansion from east Matanzas to the western Pinar del Río provinces, followed by isolation of groups of populations. We found relative high haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity in all but the Havana group, which has high values for both diversity parameters, suggesting that this group has been demographically stable over time. For two groups of populations (Cayuco and Bolondrón), the mismatch distribution analyses suggests past demographic expansion. In the case of the Cayuco region, the star like relationships of haplotypes in the network suggests a recent founding event, congruent with other evidence indicating that this is the most recently colonized region. Over all, the results suggest that a combination of habitat availability, temporal interconnections, and possibly the biological properties of this species, may have enabled its dispersal and range expansion compared to other species of the genus, which are more geographically restricted.

Considerable gene flow in troglomorphic cockroach species across a vast subterranean landscape

“…However, if this were the case, we would expect to see considerably greater genetic divergence and greater morphological diversity over the range of these species. The genetic structure patterns we recovered appear to be the result of dispersal and subsequent divergence in allopatry, similar to ‘subterranean dispersal’ patterns found in diving beetles (Langille et al, 2020), blind cavefish (Hernández et al, 2016), and cave‐dwelling shrimp species (Lejeusne & Chevaldonné, 2006; Oberprieler et al, 2021).…”

A new species of the cave-fish genus Lucifuga (Ophidiiformes, Bythitidae), from eastern Cuba

“… Lucifuga gibarensis shows a very restricted known distribution, in a lithographically isolate karst patch of caves at the north of Gibara municipality, Holguín province, without any overlap with other Cuban species of the genus (Fig. 1 ; García-Machado et al 2011 ; Hernández et al 2016 ). It is ca.…”

“…It is found in caves from median-southern karts from central (Matanzas province) to the western part of the island (Guanahacabibes Peninsula). Its distribution is not continuous, with the most important gap between western Havana and Guanahacabibes, Pinar del Río ( Hernández et al 2016 ).…”

Phylogeographic evidence that the distribution of cryptic euryhaline species in the Gambusia punctata species group in Cuba was shaped by the archipelago geological history

“…Up to now, very few studies have been dedicated to analyzing the evolutionary history of the freshwater fishes of Cuba using a molecular genetics approach. This is the case for the genera Girardinus (Doadrio et al, 2009), Lucifuga (García-Machado et al, 2011;Hernández et al, 2016) and Rivulus (Ponce de León et al, 2014). The genus Lucifuga has a very restricted distribution to hypogean environments of karts patches and the genus Rivulus is only present in western Cuba and Isla de la Juventud (formerly Isla de Pinos).…”