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

Abstract

<jats:p>Recently, a barcoding study and a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the Cuban species of the cave-fish genus <jats:italic>Lucifuga</jats:italic> Poey, 1858 revealed the existence of different evolutionary lineages that were previously unknown or passed unnoticed by morphological scrutiny (i.e., cryptic candidate species). In the present study, <jats:italic>Lucifuga gibarensis</jats:italic> is described as a new species restricted to anchialine caves in the northeastern karst region of the main island. The species was earlier described as a variety of <jats:italic>Lucifuga dentata</jats:italic>, but since the name was introduced as a variety after 1960, it is deemed to be infrasubspecific and unavailable according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature Art. 15.2. The new species differs from <jats:italic>L. dentata</jats:italic> by pigmented eyes vs. eyes absent and lack of palatine teeth vs. present. <jats:italic>Lucifuga gibarensis</jats:italic> seems to be most similar to the Bahamian species <jats:italic>L. lucayana</jats:italic> by showing pigmented eyes, 13 or 14 precaudal vertebrae and ten caudal fin rays. However, differs from it by a larger size of the pigmented eye (1.1–1.9 vs. 0.9–1.0% SL) and number of posterior lateral line neuromasts (30–33 vs. 34–35).</jats:p>

Contrasting Gene Decay in Subterranean Vertebrates: Insights from Cavefishes and Fossorial Mammals

“…In accordance with this hypothesis, L. gibarensis belongs to an ancient monophyletic clade of small-eyed species living in Cuba and Bahamas ( García-Machado et al. 2011 ; Hernández et al. 2020 ).…”

“…As no close surface relative has been identified and large genetic distances have been found between some species, within and between these clades, this genus of cavefishes is likely relatively ancient and the last common ancestor of the extant species was probably a cave-adapted fish ( García-Machado et al. 2011 ; Hernández et al. 2020 ).…”

“…In order to compare eye-specific gene decay among cavefishes and between cavefishes and fossorial mammals, here we first sequenced the genomes of two Cuban cavefishes: one specimen, belonging to L. dentata , was blind and depigmented, the other one, belonging to L. gibarensis ( Hernández et al. 2020 ), had small eyes and was pigmented.…”

Nueva lista de peces que habitan sistemas fluviales en Holguín, Cuba

“…De estas nueve especies, una se encuentra en peligro crítico, caso de L. gibarenses, mientras que N. ramsdeni es considerada En peligro (González et al, 2012). Entre estas, destaca L. gibarenses, exclusiva de una sola localidad y catalogada como endémica local (Hernández et al, 2020).…”

“…Los individuos capturados se preservaron en pomos con etanol al 90 % y en formol al 10 %. En el laboratorio, los especímenes fueron lavados e identificados utilizando literaturas especializadas: (Alvarez-Lajonchere y Alvarez-Lajonchere, 2015; Hernández et al, 2020;Pezold y Cage, 2002;Ponce de León y Rodríguez, 2010;Vega et al, 2017) y se consultó el sitio www fishbase.es (Froese y Pauly, 2021). En el listado taxonómico se relacionan las especies endémicas, autóctonas y exóticas.…”