Do wood-grazing fishes partition their niche?: morphological and isotopic evidence for trophic segregation in Neotropical Loricariidae

Summary 1. Morphic detritus, including coarse particulate organic matter such as terrestrial tree leaves and wood, is consumed by few fishes in temperate stream systems but is ingested by abundant and diverse groups of specialized fishes in tropical rivers; physiological assimilation and partitioning of morphic detritus by fishes remain poorly understood. 2. This study examines seven species of Neotropical suckermouth-armored catfishes (Loricariidae) that live among and feed on coarse woody debris. Five species represent two unrelated evolutionary lineages showing convergent morphological specializations for gouging into and eating wood, small particles of which fill their guts. Two morphologically distinct species unrelated to wood-eaters and to each other forage along the surface of wood. 3. We examined six jaw functional morphological characteristics of each loricariid species as well as C and N stable isotope ratios of blood plasma, red blood cells and fin tissue of three wood-eating species and muscle tissues of all seven species. Consumer isotopic signatures were compared among species and with isotopic signatures of potential food resources, including biofilm, seston and both bulk wood and holocellulose extracted from bulk wood. 4. Wood-eating species had robust jaws specialized for gouging wood, d 13 C signatures consistent with assimilation of cellulosic wood carbon (not bulk wood carbon or lignin) and elevated d 15 N values (>5AE8&) relative to wood that were consistent with assimilation of N from intermediate microbial decomposers in the environment rather than direct assimilation of N from wood or from endosymbiotic N-fixers. Two non-wood-eating species occupied divergent regions of jaw functional morphospace, and isotopic signatures were consistent with assimilation of C from biofilm and seston, respectively, and N from enriched sources such as microbes, macroinvertebrates or seston. 5. Food resources associated with the surfaces of coarse woody debris in Neotropical rivers are partitioned among at least three guilds of loricariid consumers with divergent jaw morphologies specialized for wood gouging, surface grazing and macroinvertebrate probing. Direct consumption of morphic detritus by specialized Neotropical fishes constitutes a potentially important but poorly understood component of detritus processing and nutrient cycling in tropical rivers

N. elongata Produces Type IV Pili That Mediate Interspecies Gene Transfer with N. gonorrhoeae

The genus Neisseria contains at least eight commensal and two pathogenic species. According to the Neisseria phylogenetic tree, commensals are basal to the pathogens. N. elongata, which is at the opposite end of the tree from N. gonorrhoeae, has been observed to be fimbriated, and these fimbriae are correlated with genetic competence in this organism. We tested the hypothesis that the fimbriae of N. elongata are Type IV pili (Tfp), and that Tfp functions in genetic competence. We provide evidence that the N. elongata fimbriae are indeed Tfp. Tfp, as well as the DNA Uptake Sequence (DUS), greatly enhance N. elongata DNA transformation. Tfp allows N. elongata to make intimate contact with N. gonorrhoeae and to mediate the transfer of antibiotic resistance markers between these two species. We conclude that Tfp functional for genetic competence is a trait of a commensal member of the Neisseria genus. Our findings provide a mechanism for the horizontal gene transfer that has been observed among Neisseria species

Taxonomy based on science is necessary for global conservation

Peer reviewe

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Riociguat treatment in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: Final safety data from the EXPERT registry

Objective: The soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat is approved for the treatment of adult patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and inoperable or persistent/recurrent chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) following Phase

Morphological and functional diversity of the mandible in suckermouth armored catfishes (Siluriformes: Loricariidae). Journal ofMorphology,

ABSTRACT We examined the mandibles of 377 individuals representing 25 species, 12 genera, 5 tribes, and 2 subfamilies of the Loricariidae, a species-rich radiation of detritivorous-herbivorous neotropical freshwater fishes distinguished by having a ventral oral disk and jaws specialized for surface attachment and benthic feeding. Loricariid mandibles are transversely oriented and bilaterally independent, each rotating predominantly around its long axis, although rotational axes likely vary with mandibular geometry. On each mandible, we measured three traditional and three novel morphological parameters chosen primarily for their functional relevance. Five parameters were linear distances and three of these were analogous to traditional teleost in-and out-levers for mandibular adduction. The sixth parameter was insertion area of the combined adductor mandibulae muscle (AM area ), which correlated with adductor mandibulae volume across a subset of taxa and is interpreted as being proportional to maximum force deliverable to the mandible. Multivariate analysis revealed distributions of phylogenetically diagnosed taxonomic groupings in mandibular morphospace that are consistent with an evolutionary pattern of basal niche conservatism giving rise to multiple adaptive radiations within nested clades. Correspondence between mandibular geometry and function was explored using a 3D model of spatial relationships among measured parameters, potential forces, and axes of rotation. By combining the model with known loricariid jaw kinematics, we developed explicit hypotheses for how individual parameters might relate to each other during kinesis. We hypothesize that the ratio [AM area /tooth row length 2 ] predicts interspecific variation in the magnitude of force entering the mandible per unit of substrate contacted during feeding. Other newly proposed metrics are hypothesized to predict variation in aspects of mandibular mechanical advantage that may be specific to Loricariidae and perhaps shared with other herbivorous and detritivorous fishes

A new distinctively banded species of Panaqolus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the western Amazon Basin in Peru

Lujan, Nathan K., Steele, Sarah, Velasquez, Miquel (2013): A new distinctively banded species of Panaqolus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the western Amazon Basin in Peru. Zootaxa 3691 (1): 192-198, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3691.1.

Pseudolithoxus kelsorum Lujan & Birindelli, 2011, new species

Pseudolithoxus kelsorum, new species Figure 1. Table 1. Holotype. MCNG 55357, 66.0 mm SL, Venezuela, Amazonas State, Orinoco River drainage, Orinoco River at Merey, 97.6 km N of San Fernando de Atabapo, 4 ° 55 '04''N, 67 ° 49 ' 58 ''W, J. Birindelli, N. K. Lujan & V. Meza, 18 April 2010. Paratypes. Five specimens, collected with holotype. ANSP 182813, 1: 36.6 mm SL, AUM 51644, 2: 40.0, 52.4 mm SL; MCNG 55358, 1: 44.0 mm SL; MZUSP 108090, 1: 52.7 mm SL. Diagnosis. Pseudolithoxus kelsorum is diagnosed from all other Pseudolithoxus by having dark brown to black base color with eight to 11 (usually nine) light yellowish vertical or oblique (tilted dorsoanteriorly) transversal bands between orbits and caudal fin, bands wide and rarely but sometimes incomplete or contorted as swirls (Fig. 1; vs. dark brown to black base color with 18 or more thin, light yellow, frequently contorted transversal bands between orbits and caudal fin in P. tigris, Fig. 2; black base color with small white spots in P. anthrax and P. n i c o i; and light brown base color with dark brown to black spots in P. dumus, Fig. 3). Description. Morphometrics in Table 1. Largest specimen 66.0 mm SL. Head and body dorsoventrally flattened with body depth greatest at supraoccipital; dorsal and ventral profiles only slightly convergent caudally. Snout surface and body flanks armored with ossified dermal plates, each covered with small odontodes; plates absent from small region at posteroventral corner of pterotic and entire abdomen. Cheek plates bearing moderately to highly hypertrophied, distally-hooked odontodes (mean 35, range 27–42, holotype 42) evertible to approximately 90 º from sagittal plane; longest odontodes extending to posterior exposed margin of opercle. Orbit positioned dorsally on head with opening sloped ventrolaterally at approximately 45 º from sagittal plane in anterior view. Oral disk occupying most of ventral surface of head anterior of cleithrum. Interpremaxillary and intermandiblar tooth row angle greater than 110 º; premaxillary teeth 55–64 (average 61, holotype = 64); dentary teeth 47–57 (average 53, holotype 54). All teeth with gracile, flexible shafts and bicuspid heads bent inward at right angle to shaft. Maxillary barbel short and attached to lower lip along most of length; ventral surface of labial disk with hemispherical papillae decreasing in size distally and toward rictus; posterior margin of labial disk lacking fimbriae. ILM Measurement Holotype Mean SD Min Max 1–20 Standard length 66.0 48.6 10.7 36.6 66.0 Percents of standard length 17–19 Adipose—upper caudal distance 14.2 14.1 1.2 11.9 15.3 15–19 Caudal peduncle depth 7.6 7.3 0.9 5.9 8.2 15–17 Adipose—lower caudal distance 19.3 19.2 1.2 17.4 20.8 14–17 Adipose—anal distance 19.3 19.0 1.3 17.0 20.3 Dorsal fin II, 7; dorsal-fin spinelet small but visible, V-shaped; dorsal-fin lock functional; posteriormost dorsalfin ray free from body. Pectoral fin I, 6; adpressed pectoral-fin spine reaching approximately halfway between anus and pelvic-fin origin; anterodorsal surfaces of spine with many hypertrophied odontodes increasing in length distally; odontodes longer an more numerous in larger specimens. Pelvic fin I, 5; pelvic-fin spine extending to or past insertion of anal fin when adpressed. Anal fin I, 4; second unbranched ray longest. Adipose-fin spine straight; adnate to caudal peduncle via fleshy membrane with concave or convex posterior margin. Caudal fin I, 14,I; dorsal procurrent caudal-fin rays four; ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays four; caudal fin obliquely and asymmetrically emarginated, with ventral lobe longer than dorsal lobe. Body broadest at cleithrum; posterior margin of exposed posterior process of cleithrum squared or tapering to a point. Lateral median plates 23–25 (mode 23, holotype 24), middorsal plates 20–23 (mode 23, holotype 20), midventral plates 22–25 (mode 23, holotype 23); anteriormost midventral plate strongly bent. Caudal peduncle plate rows three. One or two azygous preadipose plates (mode one, holotype one); predorsal plate rows two not including nuchal plate; interdorsal plate rows four or five (mode five, holotype four). Color. Body with dark brown to black base color with eight to 11 (usually nine) light yellow vertical or oblique (tilted dorsoanteriorly) transversal bands between orbits and caudal fin; bands wide and rarely but sometimes incomplete or contorted as swirls (Fig. 1). Paired, dorsal, adipose, and caudal fins light with dark bands. Snout with light yellow longitudinal bands, small spots, or contortions. Abdomen pale; lower lip, ventral plated surfaces, ventral paired-fin spine surfaces, and anal fin uniformly light yellow to tan. Distribution and habitat. Known only from a single site on the Orinoco River just above the Maipures rapids and approximately 60 km south of the Atures rapids (Fig. 4). Type material collected via rotenone and castnet from a single shoreline granite outcrop. Anecdotal reports (O. Lucanus pers comm. to NKL) suggest that the range of Pseudolithoxus kelsorum extends downstream into the Atures rapids. However, extensive ichthyological surveys of the Orinoco River further upstream by the first author and colleagues have failed to yield specimens of P. k e l s o r u m, suggesting that its distribution is limited to only more downstream reaches, possibly including the nearby and still poorly surveyed lower reaches of western tributaries of the Orinoco in Colombia. Etymology. Named in honor of George and Carolyn Kelso whose generous contribution to Texas A&M University and to the Winemiller Aquatic Ecology Lab has facilitated important ichthyological discoveries, including this new species.Published as part of Lujan, Nathan K. & Birindelli, Jose L. O., 2011, A new distinctively banded species of Pseudolithoxus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the upper Orinoco River, pp. 38-46 in Zootaxa 2941 on pages 39-43, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.27815

Two new species of Loricariidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes) from main channels of the upper and middle Amazon Basin, with discussion of deep water specialization in loricariids

Hemiancistrus pankimpuju, new species, and Panaque bathyphilus, new species, are described from the main channel of the upper (Maranon) and middle (Solimoes)Amazon River, respectively. Both species are diagnosed by having a nearly white body, long filamentous extensions of both simple caudal-fin rays, small eyes, absence of an iris operculum and unique combinations of morphometrics. The coloration and morphology of these species, unique within Loricariidae, are hypothesized to be apomorphies associated with life in the dark, turbid depths of the Amazon mainstem. Extreme elongation of the caudal filaments in these and a variety of other main channel catfishes is hypothesized to have a mechanosensory function associated with predator detection.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico - CNPq[142697/2007-9]US National Science Foundation (NSF)[DEB-0315963]U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF