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searchable PDF - Association for Mexican Cave Studies

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Discussion.-Prietella phreatophila is one of onlythree troglobitic catfishes described from North America.The other two species are Satan eurystomusHubbs and Bailey and Trogloglanis pattersoni Eigenmann,both known only from deep artesian wells inand near San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas (U.S.A.).It is notable that all three species of blind ictaluridsare found only in phreatic waters. Prietella is mostclosely related to the genus Noturus, which rangesnortheast from Texas into Canada. Prietella phreatophilahas been collected only in an artificially enlargednatural well fed by a deep crevice. Following!:teavy rains, water gushes from the well, and manyfish are reported to be washed out at that time. Thewell is frequently cleaned with algaecides, and fishmay be found only sporadically in the wells. Thisspecies has been placed on the list of endangered<strong>for</strong>eign species.Family PimelodidaeThe pimelodid catfishes of the genus Rhamdiafrom the caves and cenotes of Yucatan have beenstudied by Hubbs (1936, 1938). His revision of thisgroup includes four subspecies associated with subterraneanwaters: R. guatemalensis decolor Hubbs,R. g. depressa Barbour and Cole, R. g. sacrificiiBarbour and Cole, and R. g. stygaea Hubbs. Rhamdiag. decolor is somewhat depigmented, and R. g. stygaeahas somewhat smaller eyes than the remainingsubspecies. Both of these subspecies are known onlyfrom caves. A troglobitic species of Rhamdia fromcaves in the Acatlan region of Oaxaca is presentlybeing described.Order CyprinodontifonnesFamily PoeciliidaeThe family Poeciliidae is represented in <strong>Mexican</strong>caves by the troglobitic population of Poecilia sphenopsdiscussed below and by two other species.Hubbs (1936) reported the presence of P. sphenopsaltissima (Hubbs), P. velifera (Regan), and Gambusiayucatana Regan in the cenotes of Yucatan. Theseshould not be considered a part of the true cavefauna.Poecilia sphenops ValenciennesPoecilia sphenops Valenciennes (in Cuvier and Valenciennes,1846):130.Poecilia sphenops, cave population: Gordon and Rosen,1962:360-368, fig. 1-8; Rosen and Bailey,1963:49-53; Kosswig, 1964:74; Moore and Nicholas,1964:95; Walters and Walters, 1965:214-223;Barr, 1968a:89; Peters and Peters, 1968:211-244;Reddell, 1971b:84; Zeiske, 1971:387-393; Parzefalland Wilkens, 1972:64-65, 76; Wilkens andBurns, 1972:269; Kosswig, 1973:5, 10; Parzefall,1973a:177-183, fig. 1-3; Parzefall, 1973b:283­290; Peters, 1973:315-326; Peters et al., 1973:417-436, fig. 2-5; Juberthie, 1974:82; Peters et aI.,1975:111; Thines and Capon, 1975:226; Besharseand Brandon, 1976:538; Parzefall, 1979:399-422,fig. 1-10.Mollienesia sphenops, cave population: Poulson,1964:756; Zeiske, 1968:190-222, fig. 1-13; Parzefall,1969:1-37; ParzefaII, 1970:323-342; Wilkens,1970c:65.Mollienesia: Poulson, 1964:755.Discussion.-Poecilia sphenops has been reportedas a cave-adapted fonn only in Cueva del Azufre,Tabasco. The troglobitic population has never beengiven taxonomic recognition. The situation of P.sphenops in Cueva del Azufre is remarkably similarto that of Astyanax jordani and A. mexicanus inCueva Chica, San Luis Potosi. The stream emergingfrom Cueva del Azufre has permitted epigean fish tore-invade the cave habitat, and a limited amount ofhybridization with the derivative troglobitic fish isnow occurring. It is not possible to traverse a greatdistance into Cueva del Azufre and, there<strong>for</strong>e, theeyeless fish population remains unstudied. It is ofgreat importance to explore this region extensivelyin an attempt to locate the source of the eyeless fishnow hybridizing with the eyed P. sphenops. Waltersand Walters (1965) have made some laboratory observationson this species, and the European workersN. and G. Peters, J. Parzefall, H. Wilkens, and E.Zeiske have studied the morphology and geneticsof the cave-adapted <strong>for</strong>m of this species. NormaleyedP. sphenops have been collected in Cueva delRio Subterraneo and in a well near Cueva Chica,San Luis Potosi.Order PercifonnesFamily BrotulidaeTyphliasina pearsei (Hubbs)Typhlias pearsei Hubbs, 1938:261, 263, 265, 267,269, 290, 291, pI. 3; Chitwood, 1938:62; DeBuen, 1940:66; Anonymous, 1947:128; Pearse,1945:112, 113, 151,214; Alvarez, 1950:15,109,110; Cardenas Figueroa, 1950:156; Robles Ramos,1950:64; Ladiges, 1951b:168; Dearolf, 1956:203;Barrera, 1962:84; Tamayo, 1962:vol. III:326; Polland Leleup, 1965:466, 467; Breder and Rosen,1966:385; Greenwood, 1967:267, 270, fig. 58;De Buen, 1972:269; Bravo-Hollis and CaballeroDeloya, 1973:74,99.245

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