Coastal Drainages Research Articles

Diversity in Pacific Slender-Toed Geckos, Nactus pelagicus Complex (Reptilia: Squamata), of New Guinea and Adjacent Islands

The diversity within the genus Nactus is slight in comparison to the other Australasian genus of narrow-toed geckos (Cyrtodactylus). The latter now has more than 290 species, with over half of these species newly described in the twenty-first century. In contrast, prior to this study, 12 Nactus species were recognized formally in the recent herpetological literature: three species in the Mascarene Islands, two in the Pacific Islands, three in Australia, and six in New Guinea and associated island groups. Three of these New Guinea species are miniature (snout–vent length ≤ 40 mm) species, and three are in the pelagicus complex; with the exception of the recently described N. kunan, all other New Guinean populations were labeled N. pelagicus even though they were known to be bisexual species and differed from the unisexual N. pelagicus of Oceania. Considering only bisexual New Guinean “pelagicus,” my morphological analyses recognize 24 distinct populations for which I provide new names or resurrected species names from synonymies. Of these 24, two species are extralimital (Morotai and Kei Islands). The sampling of Nactus in Indonesia Papua is very poor, with only one specimen from the base of the Vogelkop, two from south coast drainages, and more than a dozen from islands from the east coast of Cenderawasih Bay; the remainder derive from Papua New Guinea (PNG). The Indonesia Papua populations represent four species, two of which are shared with PNG. Papua New Guinea thus has a total of 20 species, varying from widespread species (e.g., north coast of main Papua to the Sepik-Ramu area) to a single locality in Madang or single islands in the Louisiade Archipelago. Most distributions of the PNG species match at least one other PNG anuran or reptile species. The greatest diversity of PNG species occurs in Madang Province to Huon Peninsula and the Milne Bay mainland with sympatry in both areas. The “pelagicus complex” of species is herein confirmed to be polyphyletic. In spite of its use in this study, its subsequent use should be restricted to the unisexual species and their parental species, of which only one (N. multicarinatus) is known. The preceding represents a subgroup within the larger clade of Australian and New Guinean bisexual species. For the present, I do not recommend a name for this group because a molecular phylogenetic analysis will be required to identify the cladogenesis of the Nactus species.

Taxonomic review of the pipefish genus Pseudophallus Herald, with the description of a new species (Syngnathiformes: Syngnathidae).

We present a taxonomic review of the genus Pseudophallus, based on morphological characters, originally described to include two freshwater pipefish species from the Pacific coastal drainages of the neotropics: P. starksii and P. elcapitanensis, with the later addition of P. mindii, described from Atlantic coastal drainages. Pseudophallus mindii was formerly recognized as a single species ranging from the Brazilian state of São Paulo to Belize in Central America. Five species are recognized in the present study: P. elcapitanensis and P. starksii from the Pacific drainages; P. mindii and P. brasiliensis, the latter so far considered a junior synonym of P. mindii, and a new species. Pseudophallus mindii is redefined to include specimens with higher meristic values and narrow range of variation compared to P. brasiliensis and is restricted to the northern coastal drainages from Venezuela to Central America including the Caribbean region. Pseudophallus brasiliensis is revalidated and occurs from the drainages east of the mouth of the Orinoco to southern Brazil. The new species, Pseudophallus galadrielae sp. nov. is endemic to Lago Izabal in Guatemala. An updated identification key to the currently recognized species is provided.

Species delimitation in a range‐restricted group of cascudinhos (Loricariidae: Epactionotus) supports morphological and genetic differentiation across coastal rivers of southern Brazil

Epactionotus species are known for inhabiting the rocky-bottom stretches of fast-flowing rivers in a limited geographic area along the Atlantic coast of southern Brazil. These species are endemic to single coastal river drainages (two neighbouring drainages for Epactionotus bilineatus) isolated from each other by the coastal lacustrine environments or the Atlantic Ocean. E. bilineatus is from the Maquiné and Três Forquilhas River basins, both tributaries of the Tramandaí River system, whereas E. itaimbezinho is endemic to the Mampituba River drainage and Epactionotus gracilis to the Araranguá River drainage. Recent fieldwork in the Atlantic coastal drainages of southern Brazil revealed new populations in the Urussanga, Tubarão, d'Una and Biguaçu River drainages. Iterative species delimitation using molecular data (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) and morphology (morphometrics and meristics) was applied to evaluate species recognition of isolated populations. With regard to new data, the genus was re-diagnosed, the status of Epactionotus species/populations was re-evaluated, formerly described species were supported and population structure was recognized. As for the newly discovered populations, both morphological and molecular data strongly support the population from the Biguaçu River drainage, in Santa Catarina State, as a new species. Molecular data revealed strong per-basin population structure, which may be related to species habitat specificity and low or no dispersal among drainages.

A new species of freshwater mussel in the genus Popenaias Frierson, 1927, from the Gulf coastal rivers of central Mexico (Bivalvia: Unionida: Unionidae)with comments on the genus.

The Gulf coastal drainages of central Mexico are a faunal transition zone between North and South America and harbor a unique assemblage of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionida). However, little information is available regarding the taxonomy, distribution, and evolutionary history of the Mexican mussel fauna due to limited sampling over the last 100 years. To address these knowledge gaps, we evaluated species-level diversity in the genus Popenaias Frierson, 1927, in Mexican Gulf coastal drainages as part of a larger effort to inform conservation efforts for members of this genus both in Mexico and the United States of America. Based on our analyses, we describe Popenaias berezai n. sp. from the Río Valles of the Río Pánuco basin, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. We also provide presumptive distributional range, phylogenetic structure, and molecular and morphological diagnoses of the new species and provide comments on the other species currently in Popenaias. Our findings highlight the high levels of endemism among freshwater mussels in Mexican Gulf coastal drainages and will help guide impending conservation actions for P. popeii, which is listed as "endangered" in the United States.

A New Species of Hypomasticus from Eastern Brazil Based on Morphological and Molecular Data (Characiformes, Anostomidae)

A new species of Hypomasticus is described from the Rio de Contas, a coastal drainage of eastern Brazil, and its phylogenetic position is proposed based on molecular data. The new species is diagnosed among Anostomidae by possessing a downturned mouth with compressed teeth arranged side by side, 37 or 38 lateral-line scales, three scale series between the dorsal-fin origin and the lateral line and between the lateral line and the pelvic-fin origin, and 12 scale rows around the caudal peduncle. Mitochondrial DNA sequences provide evidence that the new species is closely related to H. mormyrops, H. thayeri, H. copelandii, and H. steindachneri, a clade of species endemic to coastal drainages of eastern Brazil. These results combined with a previous phylogeny support the reallocation of the latter two species from Leporinus to Hypomasticus . The new species is herein considered to be Endangered under the IUCN criteria, due to a small Extent of Occurrence, severely fragmented population, and continued decline of area, extent, and quality of habitat.

Variation in the Arrow Loach, Nemacheilus masyae (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae), in Mainland Southeast Asia with Description of a New Species

Analyses of morphological and molecular data from recently collected specimens of Nemacheilus from Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand indicate that N. pallidus is a junior synonym of N. masyae, and an undescribed species of Nemacheilus occurs in large tributaries of the Mekong River in Thailand. The new species, described herein, is small—with a maximum-known standard length of 28.6 mm—and has a distinctive color pattern of dusky black bars along the side of the body that cross over the back and join the bars on the other side. Molecular phylogenetic analyses suggest that the new species is most closely related to N. masyae , which reaches a much larger size—to 66.2 mm SL—and otherwise is easily distinguished from the new species. The new species is known from the Songkhram and Mun river drainages in Thailand and appears to be restricted to the Khorat Plateau ecoregion of the Mekong River basin. Nemacheilus masyae occurs throughout mainland southeast Asia, including in the Chao Phraya, Mae Klong, Mekong, and coastal drainages of the Malay Peninsula.

Environmental and Fish Assemblage Contrasts in Blackwater and Clearwater Streams

AbstractWe compared 15 blackwater and clearwater streams in coastal drainages of Alabama by quantifying fish assemblages and associated environmental conditions across multiple seasons and characterizing potential relationships using multivariate statistical approaches. Clearwater stream channels tended to be deeper, to have sandier substrates, and to have higher dissolved oxygen concentrations than blackwater streams. In contrast, blackwater streams showed higher dissolved organic carbon levels and higher benthic macroinvertebrate densities. Discriminant function analysis based on environmental and invertebrate data resulted in 90% discrimination between the two stream types. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) of seasonal fish assemblages indicated separation by stream type, with no overlap in fish assemblages of blackwater and clearwater streams in any season, and 12 (39%) of the 31 species captured were indicative of stream type. A suite of environmental and biological variables representing invertebrate density, discharge, stream size, water chemistry, and land use was correlated with NMDS axes separating fish assemblages by stream type. Fish traits were somewhat distinctive between stream types, as there were unique lie‐in‐wait predators and short‐lived species in each stream type. A fourth‐corner analysis indicated potential linkages between fishes preferring woody substrate and stream type, further suggesting that stream type may explain fish functional structure. These results emphasize the need to consider these coastal systems as biotically unique ecosystem types in conservation plans as well as to focus more attention on better understanding the diversity patterns in headwater streams within the Coastal Plains region.

Diversity of the southern Africa Lacustricola Myers, 1924 and redescription of Lacustricola johnstoni (Günther, 1894) and Lacustricola myaposae (Boulenger, 1908) (Cyprinodontiformes, Procatopodidae).

Through the analysis of a comprehensive database of COI sequences, with the sequencing of 48 specimens, a first insight into the genetic diversity, distribution and relationships between the southern Africa “Lacustricola” species is presented. Species from “Lacustricola” occur mainly in freshwater systems within the arid savanna, and are considered to be widely distributed in southern Africa, but most of them are data deficient taxa. Two species are redescribed, “Lacustricola” johnstoni (Günther, 1894) and “Lacustricola” myaposae (Boulenger, 1908), based on specimens collected at their respective type localities. Detailed osteological and life colouration information is presented for the first time. “Lacustricola” johnstoni was described from the Upper Shire River in Mangochi, Lake Malawi but is herein considered as widespread in the Okavango, Zambezi, southern Africa east coastal drainages and the Bangweulu in the Congo System. A sympatric similar species occurring in the Okavango is also identified. “Lacustricola” myaposae (Boulenger, 1908), was described from the Nseleni River in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa and is herein considered to be endemic to the small coastal river drainages within this region. Lectotypes for both “L.” johnstoni and “L.” myaposae are designated. A new species from the Lualaba River in the Congo System, sister to “L.” macrurus is identified, and the deep bodied “L.” jubbi is considered sister taxon to a clade including “L.” johnstoni and “L.” myaposae.

Revision of the Garra species of the Hajar Mountains in Oman and the UnitedArab Emirates with the description of two new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae).

The Garra species inhabiting the Hajar Mountains are revised and five species are recognised, two of which are newly species described herein. Garra barreimiae, from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Northern Oman, is distinguished from other Garra species in the Hajar Mountains by a strongly mottled flank pattern with individual or series of midlateral orange scales, a white dorsal-fin tip, an orange spot at the upper operculum, and more gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch. Garra barreimiae shawkahensis is a synonym of G. barreimiae. Garra gallagheri, from the Wadi Bani Khalid drainage in Oman, is distinguished by flank-scale margins the same colour or slightly darker than the centre of the scales. Garra longipinnis, from the interior wadis in the Central Hajar Mountains in Oman, is distinguished by flank-scale margins being clearly darker than the centre of scales. The original description of G. longipinnis was based on a few individuals with very large fins, which are here considered aberrant. Garra shamal, new species, from the coastal drainages around Muscat in Oman, is distinguished by a strongly mottled flank pattern usually without orange midlateral scales, a white dorsal-fin tip, no orange spot at the upper operculum, and middle caudal-fin rays and membranes the same colour or slightly darker than the rest of the fins in colouration. Garra sharq, new species, from the Wadi Kabbah drainage and a few interior springs in Oman, is distinguished by a strongly mottled flank pattern with individual or series of orange midlateral scales, no orange spot at the upper opercle, and dorsal-fin tip and membranes between central caudal-fin rays the same colour as the rest of the fins. All five species are well differentiated genetically and form distinct mitochondrial clades with between 2.1 and 9.2% differences (p-distances) in the mitochondrial COI.

Taxonomic review of the Hyphessobrycon panamensis species-group (Characiformes: Characidae).

A taxonomic review of the Hyphessobrycon panamensis species-group is presented, with recognition of six valid species. In Central America, H. panamensis was restricted to the drainages of both Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Panama; H. savagei was recorded at the río Pírris and río Térraba, Pacific coast of Costa Rica, and Hyphessobrycon bussingi, new species, described from the río Sixaola basin, Atlantic coast of Costa Rica, and from the río Changuinola, río Guarumo and río San San, Atlantic coast of Panama. At trans-andean South America, H. columbianus was recorded at the río Acandí, Colombia, and its geographical distribution was extended into the coastal drainages in San Blas province, Panama; H. condotensis was recorded at the río Atrato, río Baudó, lower río Magdalena and río San Juan basins, Colombia, while H. sebastiani was considered as its junior synonym. Hyphessobrycon daguae was revalidated, erected to the specific level, considered as senior synonym of H. chocoensis, and recorded from the río Dagua, río Patía and río Telembí basins, in Colombia, the río Mira, at the border between Colombia and Ecuador, and the río Cayapas, río Mataje, and río Santiago, in Ecuador. Color pattern and secondary sexual characters (e.g. number, arrangement and shape of hooks in mature males) suggest that the Hyphessobrycon panamensis species-group is a putatively monophyletic lineage.

A new endangered species of Megaleporinus (Characiformes: Anostomidae) from the Rio de Contas basin, eastern Brazil.

A new species of Megaleporinus is described from the Rio de Contas, a coastal drainage of eastern Brazil, and its phylogenetic relationships are studied using molecular data. The new species is unique among Anostomidae by possessing two exclusive features: an irregular dark longitudinal stripe from supracleithrum to second midlateral blotch and anterior cranial fontanel partially closed. In addition, the new species is diagnosed by having three premaxillary teeth, three dentary teeth, 37 or 38 scales in lateral line, 16 scale rows around caudal peduncle, three dark midlateral blotches on body, and red fins in life. The new species is closely related to M. obtusidens from the São Francisco basin, corroborating previous studies that indicated that the latter represents a species complex as currently defined. The new species exhibits the first rib enlarged in mature males, a feature described for some congeners. The new species is herein considered to be Endangered under the IUCN criteria.

Natural Recolonization by Pacific Lampreys in a Southern California Coastal Drainage: Implications for Their Biology and Conservation

AbstractThe historical range of anadromous Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus includes coastal drainages from Alaska south to northern Baja California. However, there has been a widespread loss of distribution inland due to the construction of dams that form impassable barriers as well as a loss of Pacific Lampreys from some historically occupied drainages in the south. These losses have prompted the consideration of suitable approaches to reestablishing Pacific Lamprey populations through either active intervention or natural processes. While Pacific Lampreys apparently do not home to natal streams, they are thought to use cues that are related to such factors as flow patterns or the presence of ammocoete (larval lamprey) pheromones in offshore river plumes to identify suitable rivers for spawning and rearing. In this report, we present documentation of natural recolonization of the San Luis Obispo drainage by Pacific Lampreys on the central California coast, located 130 km south of the nearest freshwater population of Pacific Lampreys and with no existing ammocoete population. We also review recent observations of adult Pacific Lampreys in other southern rivers, recolonization of the Carmel River following dam removal, and indications that Pacific Lampreys are still using oceanic habitat off southern California. The results of our investigation demonstrate that Pacific Lampreys are fully capable of returning to an isolated drainage from which they have been extirpated and then rapidly reestablishing a viable population of ammocoetes, contradicting the hypothesis that they are dependent on existing ammocoete pheromones or adult sex pheromones to attract adults. These results indicate the importance of proactive management for Pacific Lampreys in drainages within their historical range, even if they are not currently present. The results also demonstrate that recolonization does not necessarily require active reintroduction efforts. Rather, conservation efforts should focus on identifying factors that may have led to the loss of Pacific Lamprey and removing potential impediments in order to facilitate natural recolonization.

Scientists' warning to humanity on the freshwater biodiversity crisis.

Freshwater ecosystems provide irreplaceable services for both nature and society. The quality and quantity of freshwater affect biogeochemical processes and ecological dynamics that determine biodiversity, ecosystem productivity, and human health and welfare at local, regional and global scales. Freshwater ecosystems and their associated riparian habitats are amongst the most biologically diverse on Earth, and have inestimable economic, health, cultural, scientific and educational values. Yet human impacts to lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and groundwater are dramatically reducing biodiversity and robbing critical natural resources and services from current and future generations. Freshwater biodiversity is declining rapidly on every continent and in every major river basin on Earth, and this degradation is occurring more rapidly than in terrestrial ecosystems. Currently, about one third of all global freshwater discharges pass through human agricultural, industrial or urban infrastructure. About one fifth of the Earth's arable land is now already equipped for irrigation, including all the most productive lands, and this proportion is projected to surpass one third by midcentury to feed the rapidly expanding populations of humans and commensal species, especially poultry and ruminant livestock. Less than one fifth of the world's preindustrial freshwater wetlands remain, and this proportion is projected to decline to under one tenth by midcentury, with imminent threats from water transfer megaprojects in Brazil and India, and coastal wetland drainage megaprojects in China. The Living Planet Index for freshwater vertebrate populations has declined to just one third that of 1970, and is projected to sink below one fifth by midcentury. A linear model of global economic expansion yields the chilling prediction that human utilization of critical freshwater resources will approach one half of the Earth's total capacity by midcentury. Although the magnitude and growth of the human freshwater footprint are greater than is generally understood by policy makers, the news media, or the general public, slowing and reversing dramatic losses of freshwater species and ecosystems is still possible. We recommend a set of urgent policy actions that promote clean water, conserve watershed services, and restore freshwater ecosystems and their vital services. Effective management of freshwater resources and ecosystems must be ranked amongst humanity's highest priorities.

Common barriers, but temporal dissonance: Genomic tests suggest ecological and paleo-landscape sieves structure a coastal riverine fish community.

Assessments of spatial and temporal congruency across taxa from genetic data provide insights into the extent to which similar processes structure communities. However, for coastal regions that are affected continuously by cyclical sea-level changes over the Pleistocene, congruent interspecific response will not only depend upon codistributions, but also on similar dispersal histories among taxa. Here, we use SNPs to test for concordant genetic structure among four codistributed taxa of freshwater fishes (Teleostei: Characidae) along the Brazilian Atlantic coastal drainages. Based on population relationships and hierarchical genetic structure analyses, we identify all taxa share the same geographic structure suggesting the fish utilized common passages in the past to move between river basins. In contrast to this strong spatial concordance, model-based estimates of divergence times indicate that despite common routes for dispersal, these passages were traversed by each of the taxa at different times resulting in varying degrees of genetic differentiation across barriers with most divergences dating to the Upper Pleistocene, even when accounting for divergence with gene flow. Interestingly, when this temporal dissonance is viewed through the lens of the species-specific ecologies, it suggests that an ecological sieve influenced whether species dispersed readily, with an ecological generalist showing the highest propensity for historical dispersal among the isolated rivers of the Brazilian coast (i.e., the most recent divergence times and frequent gene flow estimated for barriers). We discuss how our findings, and in particular what the temporal dissonance, despite common geographic passages, suggest about past dispersal structuring coastal communities as a function of ecological and paleo-landscape sieves.

ВЗАЄМОДІЯ ДРЕНАЖНИХ СВЕРДЛОВИН У ПРОТИФІЛЬТРАЦІЙНИХ ЗАВІСАХ

The decrease of water levels in the drainage wells of the coastal anti-filtration drainage system with the siphon method of water intake from them was analyzed. The interaction of water-lowering wells with different depths and located at variable distances from each other is considered, which makes it possible to ensure uniform drainage from each well and to achieve a steady decrease in the level of groundwater over the entire length of the antifiltration drainage system.The results of the performed analytical studies are presented. The example of the Kamyanka-Dniprovska's anti-filtration drainage system shows that the decrease in water levels in wells at the same flow rate of pumped water depends on their hydraulic interaction, hydrogeological conditions of water filtration from the aquifer and the distance of the antifiltration drainage system from the bank-side. The results obtained indicate that the highest level of water depletion of the coastal vertical anti-filtration drainage system line with siphon drainage from wells is achieved at a distance of a number of wells from the Kakhovsky reservoir bank-side a = 100 m, at the same water flow rate from each of the drainage wells (Q = 604,8 m3 /day), located at different distances from each other. The highest rate of additional reduction of water obtained through mutual hydraulic action was obtained in the 7th well, which has a depth of 14,9 m, and it is located at a distance of 100 m from the 6th well and at a distance of 110 m from the 8th well. The lowest indicator of the level of groundwater reductions at different indicators of the distance of a number of drainage wells to the bank-side a (30, 50, 80, 100 m) is observed in the first well, farthest from the water collection well.

Genetic differentiation through dispersal and isolation in two freshwater fish species from coastal basins of Northeastern Brazil

Abstract The coastal basins in Northeastern Brazil used in this study make up two different ecoregions for freshwater fishes (Amazonas estuary and coastal drainages, and Parnaiba) and two areas of endemism for Characiformes (Maranhão and Parnaíba), and exhibits a diversified yet poorly explored freshwater fish fauna. The population structure and biogeography of two migratory freshwater fish species that are commercially exploited from Maranhão and Parnaíba regions were herein analyzed. Molecular sequence data and statistical analyses were used to estimate haplotypes networks and lineage divergence times and correlated with hydrographic history of drainage and paleodrainages of the region. A total of 171 sequences was produced for both species, Schizodon dissimilis (coI, n = 70) and Prochilodus lacustris (D-loop, n = 101). All analyses identified the presence of three genetically delimited groups of S. dissimilis and six groups of P. lacustris. The lineage time analyses indicate diversification among these species within the past 1 million year. The results indicate the influence of geodispersal in the formation of the ichthyofauna in the studied area through headwater stream capture events and reticulated connections between the mouths of rivers along the coastal plain due to eustatic sea level fluctuations.

Alta California: From San Diego to San Francisco, A Journey on Foot to Rediscover the Golden State by Nick Neely

Reviewed by: Alta California: From San Diego to San Francisco, A Journey on Foot to Rediscover the Golden State by Nick Neely O. Alan Weltzien Nick Neely, Alta California: From San Diego to San Francisco, A Journey on Foot to Rediscover the Golden State. Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint P, 2019. 411 pp. Cloth, $26. Nick Neely proved himself one talented naturalist with his debut collection Coastal Range (2016). His new book is nothing if not ambitious, the title scrolling us back into pre-nineteenth-century California history we either don't know or would prefer to ignore. Alta proves a nature ramble on an enormous scale as well as a version of historical pilgrimage. Neely has closely studied the 1769 Gaspar de Portola Expedition, which became the basis for El Camino Real, the chain of iconic California missions, and the accelerated quasi genocide of many of the tribal peoples of the region. Neely decided to retrace the expedition's route 247 years later, [End Page 206] beginning in downtown San Diego and culminating in his hometown near the southwest edge of San Francisco Bay. He follows its timeline, beginning in mid-July and ending 650 miles later in early November. Alta represents a considerable act of historical imagination as Neely trudges through 2016's summer and autumn, pursuing many intriguing angles. A gifted naturalist, Neely never sees or hears a bird he doesn't know and seems equally at home with plants and trees, whether native species or well-known exotics such as eucalyptus. Through his daily walks north/northwest, he investigates and incorporates fascinating local history. The focus upon this Spanish "Corps of Discovery" also includes well-handled stories of nineteenth-century rancheros and agricultural history, as he folds considerable research and vignette into the account of his trek. Along his dusty way, we're treated to quotidian detail as well as healthy doses of self-mockery. Neely "eats out" early in his trip, parking his backpack against the walls of the fast-food nation. He thanks himself for buying a one-man inconspicuous gray tent, which helps avoid detection. Sometimes he doesn't pitch it: too visible, too hot. Neely uses a practiced eye as he steers toward stands of foliage, sleeps near the homeless and coyotes, but is, surprisingly, never hassled. And his sense of trespassing relaxes as he traverses the central California coast. Unsurprisingly, Neely's path opens him to casual encounters, and Alta features quick character sketches and bits of conversation with myriad folks, most of them friendly even if incredulous about his undertaking. He occasionally joins tourists and steps out of his lone trek, at the Getty Museum, for example, and San Simeon. His detour around and through Camp Pendleton anticipates more harrowing moments, including his illegal, nocturnal transit across railroad property near Point Conception. Imagine walking across greater LA, the ultimate highway city. Faithful to the 1769 route, Neely sometimes veers away from the coast, traversing steep coastal mountains and drainages, the ocean's crash pounding his ears. In Big Sur country and then in the Salinas River valley, he nods, as expected, at Robinson Jeffers and John Steinbeck. How do Neely's historical strands, or the felt textures of his walk [End Page 207] distant from interstates and US routes, help us understand what California has become? If this place poses an extreme example of American historical amnesia, how does Neely's comparative lesson instruct us about what should be remembered? The invaluable histories of Kevin Starr teach us California's recent past and its impacts on California now and tomorrow. Neely gives some attention along his way, as he must, to the fates of local tribes hard upon the establishment of El Camino and the string of missions: sites of slave labor, disease, and death. We learn tribal names and occasional words, just as we learn about the Mexican class system upended by the John C. Frémonts and gold-hungry Anglos. I wish this California native had used his journey to speculate more overtly about what his huge state has become in light of his research and sweat. I wish there were more explicit application of his historical walk to contemporary...

Species delimitation reveals an underestimated diversity of Andean catfishes of the family Astroblepidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes)

ABSTRACT Catfishes of the family Astroblepidae form a group composed by 82 valid species of the genus Astroblepus inhabiting high-gradient streams and rivers throughout tropical portions of the Andean Cordillera. Little has been advanced in the systematics and biodiversity of astroblepids other than an unpublished thesis, a single regional multilocus study and isolated species descriptions. Here, we examined 208 specimens of Astroblepus that apparently belong to 16 valid species from several piedmont rivers from northern Colombia to southern Peru. Using three single-locus approaches for species delimitation in combination with a species tree analysis estimated from three mitochondrial genes, we identified a total of 25 well-delimited lineages including eight valid and 17 potential undescribed species distributed in two monophyletic groups: the Central Andes Clade, which contains 14 lineages from piedmont rivers of the Peruvian Amazon, and the Northern Andes Clade with 11 lineages from trans- and cis-Andean rivers of Colombia and Ecuador, including the Orinoco, Amazon, and Magdalena-Cauca basins and Pacific coastal drainages. Results of species delimitation methods highlight several taxonomical incongruences in recently described species denoting potential synonymies.

Systematic revision of the Neotropical catfish genus Scleronema (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae), with descriptions of six new species from Pampa grasslands

ABSTRACT The Neotropical genus Scleronema is revised based on the re-examination of the type specimens and 1,713 newly collected specimens. Scleronema is diagnosed from other trichomycterids by the following unambiguous derived characters: fleshy flap at the base of the maxillary barbell; skin flap in the posterior margin of the opercle; articulation between the autopalatine and the vomer ventrally located, with the medial margins of the autopalatines very close to each other; and autopalatine with an interrupted or not interrupted ossified arch-shaped process on its dorsal surface forming a canal. Scleronema minutum and S. operculatum are redescribed, S. angustirostre is considered a junior synonym of S. minutum, and six new species are described. A lectotype is designated for Trichomycterus minutus. The type localities of S. angustirostre, S. minutum, and S. operculatum are reviewed in order to correct erroneous information cited in articles and catalogs subsequent to the original descriptions. Species of Scleronema are geographically distributed in the La Plata basin and Atlantic coastal drainages from Southern Brazil, Southern Paraguay, Northeastern Argentina and Uruguay. They inhabit rivers or streams with sand- or gravel-bottoms across the Pampa grasslands. We provide evidences to recognize two putative monophyletic units within the genus, namely the S. minutum species group and the S. operculatum species group, and discuss the distribution patterns of their species.

Between an ocean and a high place: coastal drainage isolation generates endemic cryptic species in the Cape kurper Sandelia capensis (Anabantiformes: Anabantidae), Cape Region, South Africa.

This study investigated the range-wide phylogenetics and biogeography of the Cape kurper Sandelia capensis, a primary freshwater fish endemic to and widespread within the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) of South Africa. Maximum likelihood, Bayesian phylogenetic and haplotype network analyses, based on two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes, revealed the existence of three reciprocally monophyletic, deeply divergent and allopatric clades that probably represent cryptic species. The West Coast Clade is largely confined to the Langvlei, Verlorenvlei, Berg and Diep Rivers, the Klein River Clade is endemic to the Klein River and the South Coast Clade is found everywhere else in the range of S. capensis sensu lato. It was hypothesised that divergences within S. capensis sensu lato probably occurred because of isolation of coastal drainages by persistent drainage divides or vicariance of current tributaries by the drowning of their confluences by high sea levels. The current distribution of lineages could be due to historical range expansion and gene flow via river capture or some other mode of transdivide dispersal or dispersal during periods of low sea level via palaeoriver confluences of currently isolated coastal rivers. Comparison of BEAST2 estimated divergence times with the timing of climatic, geological and geomorphological events supported long-term coastal drainage isolation, punctuated by rare transdivide dispersal events and limited palaeoriver dispersal, as the best explanation of current phylogeographic and divergence patterns in S. capensis. Hydrological barriers that block upstream passage in palaeotributaries could hypothetically explain why S. capensis failed to disperse through certain palaeoriver confluences. There were several sites where biogeographic patterns have likely been confounded by human translocation of S. capensis. Alien fish predators and water extraction may threaten the three cryptic species more severely than previously realised, due to their smaller population sizes and inhabitation of only a portion of the range previously ascribed to S. capensis sensu lato. The preponderance of cryptic diversity and endemism in the CFR suggests that additional undescribed cryptic species of obligate freshwater fishes may be found in short coastal river systems around the world, especially in regions with a history of geological stability and a narrow continental shelf.