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

Abstract

In this study, the authors present a comprehensive checklist of cave-dwelling populations of Rhamdia from the Sierra de Zongolica (SdZ) in Veracruz, Mexico, including two new records, based on permanent and verifiable evidence in the form of voucher specimens. The authors use phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses of voucher-derived comparative cytochrome b data to shed light on the evolutionary history of these populations. The results of this study, while preliminary, suggest that hypogean forms of Rhamdia from the SdZ are cave-adapted populations of the more widespread and epigean species R. laticauda. K E Y W O R D Scave fishes, Rhamdia laticauda, Rhamdia zongolicensis, troglomorphismThe Sierra de Zongolica (SdZ) is a karstic regional mountain range located in east-central Mexico. Spread over an area of c. 12,000 km 2 that includes portions of the states of Oaxaca, Puebla and Veracruz, the SdZ averages an elevation of c. 2000 m (ranging from 200 to 3000 m) and is drained by numerous rivers and streams that are part of the Papaloapan River basin (Geissert-Kientz, 1999;López de Llergo, 2003). Because of its karstic nature, the SdZ is notable for its