Revalidation of the Spanish stone loach Barbatula hispanica (Lelek, 1987) (Teleostei, Nemacheilidae) according to morphological and mitochondrial data

Ignacio Doadrio,Camille Gauliard,Silvia Perea,Henri Persat,Agnès Dettai,Gaël P.J. Denys

doi:10.1051/limn/2021007

Abstract

This study revalidates Barbatula hispanica, previously considered a junior synonym of B. quignardi. This species is found in the Ebro drainage and in Cantabria (Spain) as well as in the Adour drainage (Southwestern France). It is characterized by an upper lip with a well-marked medial incision and an interorbital width 18.5–33.7% of the HL. The species delineation is corroborated by the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 molecular marker. We provide the sequence of 12S rDNA (950 bp) as reference for environmental DNA studies, and discuss also the taxonomy of B. quignardi which would be restricted to the Lez River.

Highlights

The stone loaches Barbatula spp (Teleostei, Nemacheilidae) are small freshwater teleost fishes occurring in brooks of most watersheds of Eurasia (Keith et al, 2020)
We provide the sequence of 12S rDNA (950 bp) as reference for environmental DNA studies, and discuss the taxonomy of B. quignardi which would be restricted to the Lez River
Its sister group is composed by one clade with the two specimens (2 haplotypes) of B. leoparda, and a second clade with specimens from the Adour drainage (Southwestern France), Ebro drainage and Basque coastal catchments (Artibai, Butrón, Nive, Nivelle, Nervión and Oka; Northeastern Spain)

Summary

Introduction

The stone loaches Barbatula spp (Teleostei, Nemacheilidae) are small freshwater teleost fishes occurring in brooks of most watersheds of Eurasia (Keith et al, 2020). They are rheophilic and live in high current environments, hiding under stones and vegetation (Kottelat and Freyhof, 2007; Keith et al, 2020). Molecular data have delineated a multitude of evolutionary lineages in the different populations of what was previously called B. barbatula. Šedivá et al (2008) showed the paraphyly of B. barbatula with the cytochrome b (cytb) marker, due to the position of B. vardarensis (Karaman, 1928), B. sturanyi (Steindachner, 1892) and B. zetensis (Sorić, 2000) Molecular data have delineated a multitude of evolutionary lineages in the different populations of what was previously called B. barbatula. Šedivá et al (2008) showed the paraphyly of B. barbatula with the cytochrome b (cytb) marker, due to the position of B. vardarensis (Karaman, 1928), B. sturanyi (Steindachner, 1892) and B. zetensis (Sorić, 2000)

Methods

Results

Conclusion