Dataset Information

Two new species of Varicus from Caribbean deep reefs, with comments on the related genus Pinnichthys (Teleostei, Gobiidae, Gobiosomatini, Nes subgroup).

ABSTRACT: Tropical deep reefs (~40-300 m) are diverse ecosystems that serve as habitats for diverse communities of reef-associated fishes. Deep-reef fish communities are taxonomically and ecologically distinct from those on shallow reefs, but like those on shallow reefs, they are home to a species-rich assemblage of small, cryptobenthic reef fishes, including many species from the family Gobiidae (gobies). Here we describe two new species of deep-reef gobies, Varicusprometheussp. nov. and V.roatanensissp. nov., that were collected using the submersible Idabel from rariphotic reefs off the island of Roatan (Honduras) in the Caribbean. The new species are the 11^th and 12^th species of the genus Varicus, and their placement in the genus is supported by morphological data and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Additionally, we also collected new specimens of the closely-related genus and species Pinnichthysaimoriensis during submersible collections off the islands of Bonaire and St. Eustatius (Netherland Antilles) and included them in this study to expand the current description of that species and document its range extension from Brazil into the Caribbean. Collectively, the two new species of Varicus and new records of P.aimoriensis add to our growing knowledge of cryptobenthic fish diversity on deep reefs of the Caribbean.

SUBMITTER: Fuentes KM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10534247 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Two new species of Varicus from Caribbean deep reefs, with comments on the related genus Pinnichthys (Teleostei, Gobiidae, Gobiosomatini, Nes subgroup).

Fuentes Katlyn M KM Baldwin Carole C CC Robertson D Ross DR Lardizábal Claudia C CC Tornabene Luke L

ZooKeys 20230920

Tropical deep reefs (~40-300 m) are diverse ecosystems that serve as habitats for diverse communities of reef-associated fishes. Deep-reef fish communities are taxonomically and ecologically distinct from those on shallow reefs, but like those on shallow reefs, they are home to a species-rich assemblage of small, cryptobenthic reef fishes, including many species from the family Gobiidae (gobies). Here we describe two new species of deep-reef gobies, Varicusprometheussp. nov. and <i ...[more]

PMID: 37780890

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Project description:BackgroundWhat are the determinant factors of community assemblies in the most diverse ecosystem in the ocean? Coral reefs can be divided in continental (i.e., reefs that develop on the continental shelf, including siliciclastic reefs) and oceanic (i.e., far off the continental shelf, usually on volcanic substratum); whether or not these habitat differences impose community-wide ecological divergence or species exclusion/coexistence with evolutionary consequences, is unknown.MethodsStudying Caribbean octocorals as model system, we determined the phylogenetic community structure in a coral reef community, making emphasis on species coexistence evidenced on trait evolution and environmental feedbacks. Forty-nine species represented in five families constituted the species pool from which a phylogenetic tree was reconstructed using mtDNA. We included data from 11 localities in the Western Caribbean (Colombia) including most reef types. To test diversity-environment and phenotype-environment relationships, phylogenetic community structure and trait evolution we carried out comparative analyses implementing ecological and evolutionary approaches.ResultsPhylogenetic inferences suggest clustering of oceanic reefs (e.g., atolls) contrasting with phylogenetic overdispersion of continental reefs (e.g., reefs banks). Additionally, atolls and barrier reefs had the highest species diversity (Shannon index) whereas phylogenetic diversity was higher in reef banks. The discriminant component analysis supported this differentiation between oceanic and continental reefs, where continental octocoral species tend to have greater calyx apertures, thicker branches, prominent calyces and azooxanthellate species. This analysis also indicated a clear separation between the slope and the remaining habitats, caused by the presence or absence of Symbiodinium. K statistic analysis showed that this trait is conserved as well as the branch shape.DiscussionThere was strong octocoral community structure with opposite diversity and composition patterns between oceanic and continental reefs. Even habitats with similar depths and overall environmental conditions did not share similar communities between oceanic and continental reefs. This indicates a strong regional influence over the local communities, probably due to water transparency differences between major reef types, i.e., oceanic vs. continental shelf-neritic. This was supported by contrasting patterns found in morphology, composition and evolutionary history of the species between atolls and reef banks.

Dataset Information

Two new species of Varicus from Caribbean deep reefs, with comments on the related genus Pinnichthys (Teleostei, Gobiidae, Gobiosomatini, Nes subgroup).

Publications

Two new species of <i>Varicus</i> from Caribbean deep reefs, with comments on the related genus <i>Pinnichthys</i> (Teleostei, Gobiidae, Gobiosomatini, Nes subgroup).

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Dataset Information

Two new species of Varicus from Caribbean deep reefs, with comments on the related genus Pinnichthys (Teleostei, Gobiidae, Gobiosomatini, Nes subgroup).

Publications

﻿Two new species of <i>Varicus</i> from Caribbean deep reefs, with comments on the related genus <i>Pinnichthys</i> (Teleostei, Gobiidae, Gobiosomatini, Nes subgroup).

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets

Two new species of <i>Varicus</i> from Caribbean deep reefs, with comments on the related genus <i>Pinnichthys</i> (Teleostei, Gobiidae, Gobiosomatini, Nes subgroup).