A new cave locality for Astyanax cavefish in Sierra de El Abra, Mexico

By

Espinasa, Luis
Legendre, Laurent
Fumey, Julien
Blin, Maryline
Rétaux, Sylvie
Espinasa, Monika

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2018

Original Publication

Subterranean Biology

Volume

26

Pages

39-53

Subjects

Astyanax , Chica Cave , Sierra de El Abra , troglobite , troglomorphy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.26.26643

 

Abstract

The characiform fish Astyanaxmexicanus comes in two forms, a surface-dwelling morph which lives in the rivers of North and Central America and a blind, depigmented cave-dwelling morph which inhabits caves in Mexico. In recent years, this species has arguably become among the most influential model system for the study of evolutionary development and genomics in cave biology. While recent articles have analysed in great detail Astyanax genetics, development, physiology, phylogeny and behaviour, there have been comparatively few recent studies concerning its ecology and in particular its biogeography. Mitchell et al. (1977) reported the species inhabiting 29 caves in the Sierra de El Abra region. Despite the elapsing of over 40 years and the latest surge of interest in the model, not a single new cave locality had been described for the species. We describe here a new and 30th cave locality, Chiquitita Cave, inhabited by troglomorphic A.mexicanus. Their morphology, eye histology, 16S rRNA DNA sequence, and smelling capabilities are analysed. This cave represents the southernmost extension for the cave morph’s habitat within the Sierra de El Abra. Its name, Chiquitita Cave (Tiny Cave), was chosen in reference to a potential hydrologic connection to “Chica Cave” (small cave), which is among the most studied populations of Astyanax.