Diversification in gravel beaches: A radiation of interstitial clingfish (Gouania, Gobiesocidae) in the Mediterranean Sea

Multigene phylogeny reveals convergent evolution in small interstitial catfishes from the Amazon and Atlantic forests (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae)

“…Although members of most trichomycterid subfamilies have been reported to live associated to river bottom substrate, only members of the Glanapteryginae, Sarcoglanidinae and Microcambevinae have shown specialised burrowing habits (Costa, ; Costa et al, ; Nico & de Pinna, ; Schaefer et al, ; Zuanon & Sazima, ), often acquiring uncommon morphological features, some of which are consistent with the morphological changes reported to be adaptations to the interstitial lifestyle independently acquired by diverse lineages of both vertebrates and invertebrates (Adriaens et al, ; Giere, ; Wagner et al, ; Yamada et al, ). These morphological adaptations include minute body size, body elongation, loss of skin pigmentation and reduction of appendages (Adriaens et al, ; Giere, ), all occurring in some lineage of those three subfamilies (Baskin, Pinna, Provenzano, & Schaefar, ; Costa & Bockmann, ; de Pinna, ; Schaefer et al, ).…”

“…Sand‐dwelling trichomycterids are similar to many other psammophilic Neotropical fishes in possessing translucent body and small adult size (Zuanon, Bockmann, & Sazima, ). On the other hand, interstitial trichomycterids exhibit uncommon morphology that has convergently occurred in cryptobenthic fishes (Wagner et al, ; Yamada, Sugiyama, Tamaki, Kawakita, & Kato, ), including elongate eel‐shaped body with numerous vertebrae and reduction or absence of eye and fins (Costa & Bockmann, ; de Pinna, ; de Pinna & Kirovsky, ; Schaefer, Provenzano, Pinna, & Baskin, ). Similar adaptations to interstitial life convergently occurred in so different lineages of marine interstitial teleost fishes such as clingfishes (Wagner et al, ) and gobies (Yamada et al, ).…”

“…Interstitial fishes have been considered among the least studied vertebrates (Brandl, Goatley, Bellwood, & Tornabene, 2018;Wagner et al, 2019). Like other interstitial fishes, interstitial trichomycterids are poorly known, with most species described in recent years.…”

Unexpected diversity in the host-generalist oribatid miteParaleius leontonychus(Oribatida, Scheloribatidae) phoretic on Palearctic bark beetles

“…Assessing the taxonomic diversity in cryptic lineages with little or no ecological and/or morphological divergence is still one of the major challenges in systematic biology ( Fišer, Robinson & Malard, 2018 ), but necessary, as informed estimates on the true diversity of taxa are an important prerequisite for our understanding of their evolutionary significance and role in ecosystems. Recent studies have shown that inconspicuous and/or small taxa, often with a reclusive life style, show particularly high levels of cryptic diversity ( Von Saltzwedel, Scheu & Schaefer, 2017 ; Wagner et al, 2019 ). Mites are no exception, and indeed, their actual diversity seems to be vastly underestimated, even in common and easily recognizable taxa ( Navia et al, 2013 ; Young et al, 2019 ; Schäffer, Kerschbaumer & Koblmüller, 2019 ).…”

Unravelling the taxonomy of an interstitial fish radiation: Three new species of Gouania (Teleostei: Gobiesocidae) from the Mediterranean Sea and redescriptions of G. willdenowi and G. pigra

“…Their secretive ecology entails major problems for researchers collecting these fishes (Ackerman & Bellwood, 2000; Smith‐Vaniz et al ., 2006), typically confining systematic and taxonomical studies to the investigation of only a few individuals ( e.g ., Hastings & Conway, 2017). Above all, many cryptobenthic taxa contain morphologically similar or, at least at first glance, identical species, such that their overall biodiversity is drastically underestimated, even in considerably well‐studied groups or geographic regions ( e.g ., Conway et al ., 2014; Tornabene et al ., 2015; Wagner et al ., 2019; Winterbottom et al ., 2014). However, the inclusion of molecular methods in classic taxonomic studies has proven to be particularly effective for overcoming these obstacles and in recent years genetic data have become a key tool for resolving phylogenetic relationships among and within cryptobenthic taxa ( e.g ., Almada et al ., 2008; Conway et al ., 2014; Henriques et al ., 2002; Hoban & Williams, 2020; Kovačić et al ., 2020; Tornabene et al ., 2010; Victor, 2013; Winterbottom et al ., 2014).…”