Alejandro Duarte

A new species of Austrolebias Costa (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae) from northeastern Uruguay, with comments on distribution patterns

A new species of Austrolebias is described based on individuals from the middle and upper rio Negro (rio Uruguay basin) and rio Yaguaron (Patos-Merin system). The new species can be differentiated from all other species of the genus by the unique presence in males of uniform bluish gray pigmentation on flanks (without vertical bands) and unpaired fins. The new species is also distinguished by the combination of characters associated with a reduction of the squamation of the abdominal, preopercular, and opercular regions. The new species presents some morphological characteristics similar to A. gymnoventris and A. luteoflammulatus. The distribution of the new species is concordant with three other species of Austrolebias and may represent a case of drainage rearrangement of the rio Negro upstream tributaries (rio Uruguay basin) and tributaries of laguna Merin system.

Functional diversification within a predatory species flock.

Ecological speciation is well-known from adaptive radiations in cichlid fishes inhabiting lentic ecosystems throughout the African rift valley and Central America. Here, we investigate the ecological and morphological diversification of a recently discovered lotic predatory Neotropical cichlid species flock in subtropical South America. We document morphological and functional diversification using geometric morphometrics, stable C and N isotopes, stomach contents and character evolution. This species flock displays species-specific diets and skull and pharyngeal jaw morphology. Moreover, this lineage appears to have independently evolved away from piscivory multiple times and derived forms are highly specialized morphologically and functionally relative to ancestral states. Ecological speciation played a fundamental role in this radiation and our data reveal novel conditions of ecological speciation including a species flock that evolved: 1) in a piscivorous lineage, 2) under lotic conditions and 3) with pronounced morphological novelties, including hypertrophied lips that appear to have evolved rapidly.

Perciformes, Cichlidae, Crenicichla tendybaguassu Lucena and Kullander, 1992: first record for Uruguay

The present note is the first record of the pike cichlid Crenicichla tendybaguassu for Uruguay, extending its distribution about 400 km to the South. The presence of C. tendybaguassu and their co-occurrence with other priority species for conservation in Uruguay adds greater value to conservation of the Cuareim River (Middle Uruguay River). Coloration of live breeding females is described for first time.

Phylogenomics of pike cichlids (Cichlidae: Crenicichla): the rapid evolution and trophic diversification of an incipient species flock

The rapid rise of phenotypic and ecological diversity in independent lake‐dwelling groups of cichlids is emblematic of the East African Great Lakes. In this study, we show that similar ecologically based diversification has occurred in pike cichlids (Crenicichla) throughout the Uruguay River drainage of South America. We collected genomic data from nearly 500 ultraconserved element (UCEs) loci and >260 000 base pairs across 33 species, to obtain a phylogenetic hypothesis for the major species groups and to evaluate the relationships and genetic structure among five closely related, endemic, co‐occurring species (the Uruguay River species flock; URSF). Additionally, we evaluated ecological divergence of the URSF based on body and lower pharyngeal jaw (LPJ) shape and gut contents. Across the genus, we recovered novel relationships among the species groups. We found strong support for the monophyly of the URSF; however, relationships among these species remain problematic, likely because of the rapid and recent evolution of this clade. Clustered co‐ancestry analysis recovered most species as well delimited genetic groups. The URSF species exhibit species‐specific body and LPJ shapes associated with specialized trophic roles. Collectively, our results suggest that the URSF consists of incipient species that arose via ecological speciation associated with the exploration of novel trophic roles.

First report of four characiform fishes (Ostariophysi: Characiformes) for Uruguay

In this article the authors present the first report of four characiform fish species for Uruguay, extending their current distribution to the middle and lower Uruguay River basin: Astyanax saguazu Casciotta, Almiron and Azpelicueta, 2003; Hypobrycon poi Almiron, Casciotta, Azpelicueta and Cione, 2001; Leporinus amae Gody, 1980; Cyphocharax saladensis (Meinken, 1933). These species were previously recorded from either the upper Uruguay River, Patos-Merin lagoon system or Parana River. Color pattern in life for A. saguazu and H. poi are described for the first time.

Review of the family Rivulidae (Cyprinodontiformes, Aplocheiloidei) and a molecular and morphological phylogeny of the annual fish genus Austrolebias Costa 1998

The family Rivulidae is the fourth most diverse clade of Neotropical fishes. Together with some genera of the related African family Nothobranchiidae, many rivulids exhibit a characteristic annual life cycle, with diapausing eggs and delayed embryonic development, which allows them to survive in the challenging seasonal ponds that they inhabit. Rivulidae also includes two species known as the only the self-fertilizing vertebrates and some species with internal fertilization. The first goal of this article is to review the systematics of the family considering phylogenetic relationships and synapomorphies of subfamilial clades, thus unifying information that is dispersed throughout the literature. From this revision, it is clear that phylogenetic relationships within Rivulidae are poorly resolved, especially in one of the large clades that compose it, the subfamily Rivulinae, where conflicting hypotheses of relationships of non-annual and annual genera are evident. The second goal of this work is to present an updated phylogenetic hypothesis (based on mitochondrial, nuclear, and morphological information) for one of the most speciose genus of Rivulidae, Austrolebias. Our results confirm the monophyly of the genus and of some subgeneric clades already diagnosed, but propose new relationships among them and their species composition, particularly in the subgenus Acrolebias.(AU)