Morphological-evolutionary patterns in subterranean species of Ituglanis Costa & Bockmann, 1993 (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae)

Author(s)

Pedro Pereira Rizzato

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Ribeirão Preto.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC)
• Defense date: 2014-06-05

Examining board members

Maria Elina Bichuette; Flávio Alicino Bockmann

• Advisor: Maria Elina Bichuette

Abstract

One of the main objectives of Subterranean Biology is to identify and understand the morpho-logical modifications exhibited by subterranean organisms which can be related to their hypogean life habit. In the present work, we performed this investigation using as model the subterranean species of Ituglanis Costa & Bockmann, 1993 (Siluriformes: Trihomycteridae). Nowadays, seven subterranean species of the genus are recognized, distributed in close geo-graphic regions, the São Domingos karstic area and the Mambaí and Posse karstic area, both on northeastern Goias state, Brazil. We analyzed external (body size and elongation, paired fins and pigmentation) and sensorial characters (eyes, barbels, laterosensory system and brain), and identified tendencies of modification in all of them. Subterranean species of Ituglanis tend to shown: body elongation, and those species occupying confined spaces, body-size reduction; longer pectoral fins, with increased number of rays, and pelvic fins reduced; reduced pigmentation, the cromatophores less numerous and with irregular forms; smaller, deformed and asymmetric eyes, covered by skin; well developed barbels, the maxillary long-er; the canals of the laterosensory system fragmented and reduced, with variability and asymmetry; and the brain with well developed vagal and facial lobes, reduced optic lobes and increased cerebellum, swim bladder and semicircular canals of the inner ear. Many of these characters were already reported for subterranean fishes of other groups, suggesting a rela-tionship with this life habit. The subterranean species of Ituglanis does not exhibit all the characters on the same degree, in such a way that it is possible to classify them as the less troglomorphic, Ituglanis sp. 1 and I. mambai, the intermediary, Ituglanis sp. 2 and I. mambai, and the most troglomorphic, I. passensis, I. ramiroi and I. epikarsticus. The large inter- and intraspecific variability observed suggests a mosaic of evolution for these characters, corrobo-rating previous hypothesis of independent colonization of the subterranean environment in each species. The modifications identified can be divided in progressive and regressive, and we discuss the evolutionary mechanisms that explain their origin. The evolution of characters that can be evolutively advantageous is explained by mechanisms of direct natural selection, whilst regressive characters that do not provide any obvious advantage os disadvantage fit to scenarios of neutral evolution. Some of the characters observed in the subterranean species are typical of individuals in early stages of development, suggesting that heterocrony can play an important role in the evolution of troglomorphism. Furthermore, the lineage to which the subterranean species belong exhibit some characters considered preadaptative for the subter-ranean life habit, favouring its development repeatedly in the family Trichomycteridae and, more specifically, in the genus Ituglanis. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/15429-7 - MORPHOLOGICAL AND EVOLUTIONARY PATTERNS FOR EXTERNAL AND SENSORY CHARACTERS IN SUBTERRANEAN SPECIES OF THE GENUS Ituglanis COSTA & BOCKMANN, 1993 (SILURIFORMES: TRIVHOMYCTERIDAE)
• Grantee: Pedro Pereira Rizzato
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master