HerpVet Services

19/08/2024

Upcoming VET absence: PLEASE NOTE I am currently undergoing treatment for cancer, and the date of my urgent major surgery has just been brought forward to Thurs 22nd August 2024. Unfortunately this means that I will be unable to provide veterinary services for a period of likely several weeks from Tue 20th August. I hope to resume normal service from the beginning of October (2024), but it may be earlier - please check my website for updates. Emails will be monitored when possible for urgent admin and every effort will be made to get case histories forwarded to alternative vets as requested, but unfortunately it will not be possible to reply to other enquiries.

In the meantime cover is kindly provided by Chipping Norton vets (www.chippingnortonvets.co.uk, tel 01608 642547).

14/08/2024

𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 and 𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑖, two beautiful new species of freshwater goby are described from central Vietnam. The authors also discuss the taxonomy of the genus 𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 for the first time in Central Vietnam.

Open-access - https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5493.5.3

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
Taxonomy of freshwater gobies of the genus 𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 (Oxudercidae, Gobiiformes) from central Vietnam, with descriptions of two new species

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Ken Maeda, Hirozumi Kobayashi, Midori Iida & Hau Duc Tran. Taxonomy of freshwater gobies of the genus 𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 (Oxudercidae, Gobiiformes) from central Vietnam, with descriptions of two new species. Zootaxa 5493 (5): 507–541 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5493.5.3

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
Taxonomy of the genus 𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 was investigated for the first time in Central Vietnam. Five species occurring in this region can be distinguished by shape of their head, number of pectoral-fin rays, vertebral counts, arrangements of scales and cutaneous sensory papillae, and coloration. Two species are described as new, 𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 sp. nov. and 𝑅. 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑖 sp. nov., and the remaining three were identified as 𝑅. 𝑡𝑎𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑎, 𝑅. 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖, and 𝑅. 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑠. Though the morphology of 𝑅. 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖, and 𝑅. 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑠 differed slightly between localities, counts and measurements overlapped, and coloration was variable.

This study tentatively identifies all of those populations as 𝑅. 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖 or 𝑅. 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑠, but further research using additional specimens from a wider geographic range is required to clear the identity of the 𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 occurring in this region. 𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔, 𝑅. 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑠, and 𝑅. 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖 are distributed in both Da Nang City and Thua Thien Hue Province, with the first two species occurring widely in coastal areas, and 𝑅. 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖 restricted to inland areas. On the other hand, 𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑖 and 𝑅. 𝑡𝑎𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑎 occur only in inland areas of Da Nang City and Thua Thien Hue Province, respectively.

𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆
𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 - The new species is named 𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 because its pointed appearance is reminiscent of the Vietnamese dragon (“rồng” in Vietnamese). The new specific name is a noun in apposition.
𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑖 - The specific name of the new species is dedicated to the late Chu Hoang Nam, who helped our surveys in Vietnam during 2018 and 2019.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Top - Live images of 𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 in aquarium (a) and in situ underwater footage from Da Nang City, Vietnam (b–d). a, b, males, 12 January 2013; c, female, 12 January 2013; d, female, 1 March 2016 (photo by K. Maeda).
Bottom - Live images of 𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑖 in aquarium (a) and in situ underwater footage from Da Nang City, Vietnam (b–d). a, male, 12 January 2013; b, male, 13 January 2013; c, d, females, 13 January 2013 (photo by K. Maeda).

Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published in Zootaxa journal.

05/08/2024

In England & Wales, all bird keepers must register by 1 October 24.

By registering you will help manage potential avian disease outbreaks & limit any spread.

If you have a CPH and already registered, you do not need to re-register.

England & Wales: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-as-a-keeper-of-less-than-50-poultry-or-other-captive-birds

24/07/2024

A study in Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens investigated the effects of foraging enrichment strategies on the behaviour of six captive bearded dragons: three disabled (amputated limbs) and three non-disabled:
🦎Three levels of enrichment: Low (bowl), medium (maze) and high complexity (bottle).
🦎Foraging behaviour increased with complexity of enrichment.
🦎Both amputees and non-amputees showed similar engagement with enrichment.
🦎Generally, amputees spent more time stationary and lying down.
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Read paper (open access): https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5636/5/3/30
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22/07/2024

22/07/2024

Today, we're reminding you to keep in mind! There's loads you can do to help our spiky friends out!

From adding -friendly features to your garden to spreading the word in your neighbourhood!

22/07/2024

How many of these garden butterflies have you seen? 🦋🏡

Whether it's your garden, the local park or somewhere entirely different, spend 15 minutes counting butterflies and help us take nature's pulse!

The runs until Sunday 4 August. Get out for the Count 👉 bigbutterflycount.org

18/07/2024

𝐸𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑛𝑖𝑔𝑔𝑖𝑒, a beautifully coloured new species goldie barb is described from northeast escarpment in South Africa. This newly described species was originally considered to represent disjunct populations of the same species, 𝐸𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑓𝑖.

Open-access - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfb.15870

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
Naming the other cousin: A new goldie barb (Cyprinidae: Smiliogastrininae) from the northeast escarpment in South Africa, with proposed taxonomic rearrangement of the goldie barb group in southern Africa

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Scheepers, M., Bragança, P. H. N., & Chakona, A. (2024). Naming the other cousin: A new goldie barb (Cyprinidae: Smiliogastrininae) from the northeast escarpment in South Africa, with proposed taxonomic rearrangement of the goldie barb group in southern Africa. Journal of Fish Biology, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15870

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
A growing body of evidence indicates that the global diversity of freshwater fishes has not been fully documented. Studies of freshwater fishes that were previously thought to be morphologically variable have revealed the existence of deeply divergent lineages, with many distinct species.

In southern Africa a number of 𝐸𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑢𝑠 species exhibit either exceedingly wide or divided distribution patterns that should be rare for freshwater fishes with limited dispersal opportunities between river systems. One such species is the sidespot barb, 𝐸𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑓𝑖. As currently defined, 𝐸. 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑓𝑖 has a disjunct distribution that is divided between rivers in the northeast escarpment in South Africa and Eswatini, and tributaries of the Upper Zambezi in Zambia and southern Congo in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a large geographic gap between these two populations. With the use of molecular and morphological methods, the level of divergence between the two populations was examined, and a new species was described from the Steelpoort River in the Limpopo River system of South Africa.

Findings from this study provide further evidence for a number of taxonomic problems within the goldie barbs of southern Africa, and some taxonomic rearrangements are proposed for this group.

𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆
When describing the species 𝐸. 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑓𝑖, Greenwood (1962) used the Afrikaans word neef, which means “male cousin,” a humorous acknowledgment to Graham Bell-Cross (1927–1998) who collected the types of 𝐸. 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑓𝑖 and often called Greenwood by the Afrikaans word oom which means “uncle” (Paul Skelton, personal communication). Therefore, in keeping with Afrikaans familial terms, the use of 𝑛𝑖𝑔 [‘nᶕᶍ] to name the new species, which means “female cousin,” is a symbolic representation of the historical association between these two species, which were considered to represent disjunct populations of the same species.

Proposed common names - Southern sidespot barb; Suidelike sykol ghieliemientjie (Afrikaans).

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
General body features and live colouration of 𝐸𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑛𝑖𝑔𝑔𝑖𝑒 sp. nov. (a) Male during breeding season, field ID NPEJ21-B081 37.9 mm SL (SAIAB360). (b) Male during non-breeding season, field ID NPEJ21-B080, 41.1 mm SL, holotype (SAIAB 236359).

Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published in Journal of Fish Biology.

12/07/2024

10/07/2024

Bare hands, gloves or not at all – what’s best for amphibians and why?

Read the latest from our Conservation and Science Manager, Dr Andrew Smart: https://ow.ly/3QtR50SvmIZ

08/07/2024

Research has shown that individual animals can show behavioral consistency across time and/or contexts that differs from other individuals, which is sometimes referred to as “animal personality”. Bégué et al. 2024 wanted to determine if tadpoles showed consistent differences in exploration and boldness and whether those behavioral differences were maintained across the major life transition of metamorphosing from aquatic tadpole to terrestrial frog. The researchers found that these personality traits persisted in the Brilliant-Thighed Poison Frog Allobates femoralis throughout metamorphosis, despite the drastic changes in morphology, physiology, and habitat in the transition from tadpoles to metamorphs. They also found that more bold and explorative individuals tended to develop faster - took fewer days to reach metamorphosis. These results suggest a physiological and/or genetic mechanism may be causing the consistent individual behavior differences.

Link to Species of the Week: https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Allobates&where-species=femoralis

Leer en Español: https://bioweb.bio/faunaweb/amphibiaweb/Noticias

Link to Bégué et al. 2024: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10682-023-10274-0

08/07/2024

Massively accelerated captive growth in a young Testudo horsfieldii (Russian tortoise). Metabolic bone disease (MBD) occurs if a tortoise has abnormal calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D3 levels, caused by a poor diet or incorrect environment (lack of UV-B, for example). It is especially prevalent in...

03/07/2024

A fascinating study on the featherbacks (𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑠𝑝𝑝.) of Peninsular Malaysia. Historically, the taxonomy of this genus has been unsettled with differing hypotheses on delimiting and naming of 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 species. More recently in separately published research, with the rediscovery of the giant featherback (𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑠) there has been a renewed focus on resolving some of the taxonomic confusion within this unique group of fish.

Paywall - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/zsc.12678

The authors of this paper recognise three species of 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 from Peninsular Malaysia, 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑠, 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠, and 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑎. 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 ℎ𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑢𝑠 is recognized as a junior synonym of 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑠. The authors also point to the presence of two undescribed species of 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 from Indonesia, 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑠𝑝. "Kumbuhan" and 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑠𝑝. "ADN1667".

Further reading - Rediscovery of the giant featherback 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑠 (Notopteridae) in its type locality resolves decades of taxonomic confusion.

Open-access - https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v52/p285-301/

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
Integrative taxonomy of the featherback fish genus 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 (Osteoglossomorpha: Notopteridae) in Peninsular Malaysia

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Ruzman, L. H., Jamaluddin, J. A. F., Muhammad-Rasul, A. H., Sukmono, T., Khaironizam, M. Z., & Lavoué, S. (2024). Integrative taxonomy of the featherback fish genus 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 (Osteoglossomorpha: Notopteridae) in Peninsular Malaysia. c, 00, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/zsc.12678

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
The taxonomy of the freshwater featherback fish genus 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 (Osteoglossomorpha: Notopteridae) remains unsettled because delimiting and naming 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 species based solely on morphology led to different hypotheses.

In this study, we aim to determine the number and identity of 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 present in Peninsular Malaysia by employing an integrative taxonomic approach that combines morphology and two mitochondrial markers: the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and cytochrome b genes. A total of 60 specimens of 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 were collected throughout Peninsular Malaysia. Initially, all specimens were sorted into three distinct categories based on their body marking patterns. A molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that each of these groups was monophyletic, and an automated species partition method further recognized them as distinct species.

These results support the presence of three 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 species in Peninsular Malaysia, even though a multivariate morphometric analysis failed to fully differentiate each of these three species. Comparison with original species descriptions and genetic data from an additional 70 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 specimens from neighbouring regions allowed us to name these species as 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑠, 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠, and 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑎. We also showed the presence of two undescribed species in Indonesia.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Photos of fresh specimens of 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 collected in Peninsular Malaysia (from top to bottom): 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 (specimen LUQ21; from Sungai Terengganu; 426.0mm Standard Length [SL]), 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑎 (specimen LUQ36; from Timah Tasoh Dam; 713.0mm SL), and 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑠 (specimen LUQ19 (ex. TST001); from Sungai Terengganu; 734.0mm SL.

Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published in Zoologica Scripta journal.

03/07/2024

𝑂𝑟𝑦𝑧𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠, a new species of ricefish is described from Moramo Waterfall, in southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. The new species is a member of the 𝑂𝑟𝑦𝑧𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑒 species group, which is endemic to southeastern Sulawesi. The authors discuss why 𝑂. 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 is genetically isolated from the other members of the species group despite their close geographic proximity.

Paywall - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10228-024-00981-1

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
A new ricefish, 𝑂𝑟𝑦𝑧𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 (Adrianichthyidae), described from a mountain waterfall in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Utama, I.V., Mokodongan, D.F., Lawelle, S.A. et al. A new ricefish, 𝑂𝑟𝑦𝑧𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 (Adrianichthyidae), described from a mountain waterfall in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Ichthyol Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-024-00981-1

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
𝑂𝑟𝑦𝑧𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠, a new species of ricefish (Adrianichthyidae), is described from Moramo Waterfall, Regency of Konawe Selatan, Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia.

The new species is a member of the 𝑂𝑟𝑦𝑧𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑒 species group, which is endemic to southeastern Sulawesi and is distinguished by a bluish sheen on the body in live males. 𝑂𝑟𝑦𝑧𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 sp. nov. is distinguished from other species of the 𝑂𝑟𝑦𝑧𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑒 species group (i.e., 𝑂𝑟𝑦𝑧𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑎 Parenti, Hadiaty, Lumbantobing and Herder 2013, 𝑂𝑟𝑦𝑧𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑖 Parenti, Hadiaty, Lumbantobing and Herder 2013 and 𝑂𝑟𝑦𝑧𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑒 Parenti and Hadiaty 2010) by the combination of the following characters: 8 transverse scales; head length 26.6%–27.7% of standard length (SL) in males, and 28.0%–28.9% of SL in females; body depth at anal-fin origin 24.3%–28.2% of SL in males, and 23.5%–24.0% of SL in females; scarce or no pigmentation along the ventral and dorsal margins of caudal fin of males after preservation.

Principal component analysis based on genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms revealed that 𝑂. 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 is clearly separated from the other three species along the first principal component. We discuss why 𝑂. 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 is genetically isolated from the other members of the species group despite their close geographic proximity.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Top - 𝑂𝑟𝑦𝑧𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠, from the paper.
Bottom - Moramo Waterfall, Regency of Konawe Selatan, Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia.

Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published in Ichthyological Research journal.

03/07/2024

High in the mountains and the Altiplano in the Andes in South America, live the Andean water frogs of the genus Telmatobius, a group characterized by their mainly aquatic habits at predominantly high elevations. Where and when the specious water frogs evolved and acquired their adaptations to aquatic lifestyle was unknown until recently, when a new fossil species of Telmatobius was described: Telmatobius achachila. The new species, described by Gómez and collaborators in 2024, comes from the Bolivian Altiplano and is estimated to have lived 12 Ma (million years ago) in the Miocene. The fossil is a disarticulated skeleton of a male of approximately 80 to 90 mm in length. The anatomical characteristics of the skull, the vertebral column, and the limbs allowed Gómez and his team to recognize this fossil frog as a new species and establish its relationship to other Telmatobius species. They found that it is nested within other living species (its close sister species is Telmatobius marmoratus), and it is not the most ancestral one. The specific characteristics of the lower jaw and hyoid show that aquatic feeding behavior (inertial suction feeding) was already typical in this group of frogs by the Miocene. The finding of Telmatobius achachila, along with additional information from its discovery site, show that by the Miocene the Bolivian Altiplano was a humid low to mid elevation forest and Telmatobius had already acquired the diagnostic characteristics of the genus.

Link to Species of the Week: https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Telmatobius&where-species=marmoratus

Leer en Español: https://bioweb.bio/faunaweb/amphibiaweb/Noticias

Link to Gómez et al. 2024: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/spp2.1543

27/06/2024

25/06/2024

In a review of the flying fish (sub)genus 𝐶𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠, the authors present one new species, and four new subspecies of flying fish. This is the third part of the review, with the first (2019) and the second part (2022) which where devoted to the subgenera 𝑍𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 and 𝑃𝑜𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 respectively. This is a major work, as this group of fish is notoriously difficult to classify.

Paywall - https://mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5473.1.1

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
A review of the flying fish genus 𝐶𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 (Beloniformes: Exocoetidae). Part 3. Revision of the subgenus 𝐶𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 sensu stricto with descriptions of one new species and four new subspecies and reinstatement of 𝐶𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑟𝑖 Seale and 𝐸𝑥𝑜𝑐𝑜𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑐𝑜𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑠 Steindachner

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Shakhovskoy, I. B., & Parin, N. V. (2024). A review of the flying fish genus 𝐶𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 (Beloniformes: Exocoetidae). Part 3. Revision of the subgenus 𝐶𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 sensu stricto with descriptions of one new species and four new subspecies and reinstatement of 𝐶𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑟𝑖 Seale and 𝐸𝑥𝑜𝑐𝑜𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑐𝑜𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑠 Steindachner. Zootaxa, 5473(1), 1–125. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5473.1.1

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
The third and final part of the review of flying fishes of the genus 𝐶𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 Swainson, focused on subgenus 𝐶𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 s.str., is presented. The first and the second parts of the review (Shakhovskoy & Parin 2019, 2022) were devoted to the subgenera 𝑍𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 Parin & Bogorodsky and 𝑃𝑜𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 Bruun. The subgenus 𝑍𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 was shown to be invalid and its species were transferred to the subgenus 𝑃𝑜𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠. Thus, the number of subgenera within the genus 𝐶𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 was reduced to two.

In this third part of the review we found that three species of the subgenus 𝐶𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 s.str. are polytypic: 𝐶. 𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑠 (Bleeker) (with subspecies 𝐶. 𝑜. 𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑠 and 𝐶. 𝑜. 𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑟𝑖 Seale), 𝐶. 𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑖 (Günther) [with subspecies 𝐶. 𝑛. 𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑖, 𝐶. 𝑛. 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑢𝑠 ssp. n., 𝐶. 𝑛. 𝑠𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑠𝑝. 𝑛., 𝐶. 𝑛. 𝑎𝑙𝑏𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑎 𝑠𝑠𝑝. 𝑛. and 𝐶. 𝑛. 𝑠𝑜𝑐𝑜𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑠 (Steindachner)] and C. angusticeps Nichols & Breder (with subspecies 𝐶. 𝑎. 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑠 and 𝐶. 𝑎. 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖 ssp. n.). Two other species, 𝐶. ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑖 Abe and 𝐶. 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑠 (Mitchill), showed no taxonomically significant variation.

A new species, 𝐶. 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑠, intermediate in morphology between 𝐶. 𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑖 and 𝐶. 𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑠, is described. The morphology of all species (except 𝐶. 𝑛𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑒 Shakhovskoy & Parin, 2022) and subspecies at different stages of ontogeny is described and maps of their geographic distribution are included.

A provisional classification and key for identification of seven valid species and nine subspecies of the subgenus 𝐶𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 s.str. is provided.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Presumed juveniles of 𝐶𝑦𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑢𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑠 sp. n. (B)—estimated length ~ 50–70 mm TL, ~ 2°50'S 128°40'E, side view, photo by Ned DeLoach ©; (C)—same juvenile, view from below (with a reflection from water surface), photo by Ned DeLoach ©.

Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published in Zootaxa journal.

24/06/2024

The enigmatic olm, a species of amphibian that inhabits cave systems in Europe, has rarely been observed in the wild. Manenti et al. (2024) provide some of the first behavioral observations of Proteus anguinus from northeastern Italy through a 3-year survey of 10 caves and 69 springs. They show that – in contrast to prior assumptions – these cave-dwelling species regularly utilize surface habitats during the day and night. For example, during daytime surveys at one site, the authors encountered olms 64% of the time. Several individuals that were captured from surface springs regurgitated terrestrial earthworms, suggesting they may visit springs to feed. It was previously thought that olms observed in springs were only there because they had been washed out of caves by flooding. However, the data provided by the authors challenge this hypothesis as some of the surveyed areas were under drought conditions and had not experienced recent flooding. Overall, the study broadens our understanding of the ecology of cave-dwelling animals, which has long assumed a separation between communities inhabiting underground and surface habitats.

Link to Species of the Week: https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Proteus&where-species=anguinus

Leer en Español: https://bioweb.bio/faunaweb/amphibiaweb/Noticias

Link to Manenti et al. 2024: https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4252

14/06/2024

Last week, we had the help of two wonderful students. As part of their week-long placement, they created this social media post to answer some of our most common enquiries at this time of year:

It's season!

Did you know that Slow Worms breed from May to June? Males can become aggressive and will compete against each other for a mate. The males will bite onto the female's neck or head during mating (which can last up to 10 hours!🫢😱) so, the intense thrashing behaviour you might have observed is related to the intense mating process.

After 3-5 months post-breeding the female will give birth to 3-20 live young because slow worms are ovoviviparous, which means that they lay eggs internally and the eggs hatch inside the females body who will later go on to give birth to live young.

Find out more at: www.arc-trust.org/slow-worm

12/06/2024

Researchers review the literature on, and discuss how environmental factors may affect fish sleep, the benefits they receive from sleep, and the effects on behaviour and physiology when awake. A great read for all fish keepers.

Open-access - https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/227/11/jeb247138/352391/The-interplay-between-sleep-and-ecophysiology

"Understanding the ecological influences on sleep in fish is vital, as sleep deprivation has the potential to affect waking behaviour and fitness owing to cognitive and physiological impairments, possibly affecting ecological phenomena and sensitivity to environmental stressors in ways that have not been considered."

Like all good research nowadays it comes with a banging disco tune which lyrically summarises the paper! https://x.com/shaunkillen/status/1800609707847290887

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
The interplay between sleep and ecophysiology, behaviour and responses to environmental change in fish

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Helena Norman, Amelia Munson, Daphne Cortese, Barbara Koeck, Shaun S. Killen; The interplay between sleep and ecophysiology, behaviour and responses to environmental change in fish. Journal of Experimental Biology, 1 June 2024; 227 (11): jeb247138. doi: https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.247138

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
Evidence of behavioural sleep has been observed in every animal species studied to date, but current knowledge of the behaviour, neurophysiology and ecophysiology associated with sleep is concentrated on mammals and birds. Fish are a hugely diverse group that can offer novel insights into a variety of sleep-related behaviours across environments, but the ecophysiological relevance of sleep in fish has been largely overlooked.

Here, we systematically reviewed the literature to assess the current breadth of knowledge on fish sleep, and surveyed the diverse physiological effects and behaviours associated with sleep. We also discuss possible ways in which unstudied external factors may alter sleep behaviours. For example, predation risk may alter sleep patterns, as has been shown in mammalian, avian and reptilian species. Other environmental factors – such as water temperature and oxygen availability – have the potential to alter sleep patterns in fish differently than for terrestrial endotherms.

Understanding the ecological influences on sleep in fish is vital, as sleep deprivation has the potential to affect waking behaviour and fitness owing to cognitive and physiological impairments, possibly affecting ecological phenomena and sensitivity to environmental stressors in ways that have not been considered.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Schematic showing behavioural criteria for sleep, with insights from fish research. The sleep criteria were defined by Campbell and Tobler (1984) and built on by Tobler and Borbely (1986). Insights are shown from research on the model organism 𝐷𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜, and other fish species studied in the context of each criterion. References: 1: Sigurgeirsson et al. (2013); 2: Pinheiro-da-Silva et al. (2018); 3: McGaugh et al. (2020); 4: Duboué et al. (2011); 5: Zhdanova et al. (2001); 6: Yokogawa et al. (2007); 7: Johnson et al. (1995); 8: Lucas-Sánchez et al. (2013); 9: Tobler and Borbely (1986); 10: Kelly et al. (2020a).

Copyright © 2024 The Company of Biologists Ltd. Published in Journal of Experimental Biology. This paper is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

12/06/2024

Old names, a new classification. The end of 𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑦𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑠 as we know it. Probably the biggest news in the world of Corydoradinae catfishes in 40 years! Luiz Tencatt and fellow researchers have just published a reconstructed phylogeny of the subfamily Corydoradinae. This revision resurrects historical names, with the result that the 𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑦𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑠 lineages are now to be split into separate genera, not least 𝐵𝑟𝑜𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑠 is back! Some 'new' names to learn for old friends! - 𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑦𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑠, 𝐴𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑠, 𝑆𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑥, 𝐺𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑢𝑠 (resurrected), 𝑂𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑜𝑔𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟 (resurrected), 𝐵𝑟𝑜𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑠 (resurrected), and 𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑎 (resurrected). Follow up post due...

Paywall - https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae053/7691278

"Our results supported the monophyly of Corydoradinae and identified seven distinct groups of species, each one with an associated pre-available generic name. These genera, namely 𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑦𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑠, 𝐴𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑠, 𝑆𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑥, 𝐺𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑢𝑠 (resurrected), 𝑂𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑜𝑔𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟 (resurrected), 𝐵𝑟𝑜𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑠 (resurrected), and 𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑎 (resurrected), were all validated based on evidence derived from molecular and morphological analyses. A taxonomic key for the Corydoradinae genera is provided."

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
Phylogenomic analyses in the complex Neotropical subfamily Corydoradinae (Siluriformes: Callichthyidae) with a new classification based on morphological and molecular data

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Angelica C Dias, Luiz F C Tencatt, Fabio F Roxo, Gabriel de Souza da Costa Silva, Sérgio A Santos, Marcelo R Britto, Martin I Taylor, Claudio Oliveira, Phylogenomic analyses in the complex Neotropical subfamily Corydoradinae (Siluriformes: Callichthyidae) with a new classification based on morphological and molecular data, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2024; zlae053, https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae053

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
The family Callichthyidae, which comprises the subfamilies Corydoradinae and Callichthyinae, represents one of the largest families within the Siluriformes.

Corydoradinae, the largest subfamily of Callichthyidae, alone accounts for >200 valid species, with new species being described frequently. This subfamily holds significant popularity among catfish enthusiasts worldwide, mainly because 𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑦𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑠 are small, peaceful, and colourful fishes. Recognizing the existence of polyphyletic groups within Corydoradinae, the aim of this study was to construct a new phylogenetic hypothesis using genomic data (ultraconserved elements) and to re-evaluate the synonymized genera using the most recent morphological data.

Our results supported the monophyly of Corydoradinae and identified seven distinct groups of species, each one with an associated pre-available generic name. These genera, namely 𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑦𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑠, 𝐴𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑠, 𝑆𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑥, 𝐺𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑢𝑠 (resurrected), 𝑂𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑜𝑔𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟 (resurrected), 𝐵𝑟𝑜𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑠 (resurrected), and 𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑎 (resurrected), were all validated based on evidence derived from molecular and morphological analyses. A taxonomic key for the Corydoradinae genera is provided.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Photo not from the research paper discussed in post - 𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑎 𝑠𝑝. CW111 / aka Vulcan Cory, mature male. Courtesy of Chester / Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/cozydoras/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CorydorasVaultSingapore

© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Linnean Society of London.