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Fishes
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Behavior, Ecology and Evolution of Subterranean Fish
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Behavior, Ecology and Evolution of Subterranean Fish

A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Biology and Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2024) | Viewed by 5494

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria Elina Bichuette

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Guest Editor
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Studies, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-545, Brazil
Interests: cave ecology; subterranean fish; conservation
Dr. Yahui Zhao

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Guest Editor
Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: taxonomy; zoogeography; diversity conservation of freshwater fishes; cavefishes; evolution in extreme environments
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There are currently 304 species of cave and groundwater fishes, 53 species of interstitial fishes, and 55 species with troglomorphic features from non-subterranean habitats, such as deep rivers, reaching 412 taxa. This significant level of diversity is particularly intriguing and represents great models for behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary studies. Caves and other subterranean habitats can represent filters and the specializations found in these taxa are unique.

These specializations include mainly aspects of behavior, morphology and ecology. Even more, many species occur in regions without legal protection, and there is a great need for studies and proposals for effective protection. Finally, due to global climate change, parts of these underground habitats (whether lakes, rivers, flooded caves or phreatic waters) are under threat. Therefore, increasing knowledge about these species is essential.

We cordially invite the submission of original or review papers focusing on the behavior, ecology and evolution of subterranean fish. Your valued research is of the highest significance to us.

We enthusiastically look forward to receiving your original manuscripts for consideration in this Special Issue. Together, let us expand our understanding of the behavior, ecology, and evolution of subterranean fish, improving the conservation of these particular fauna.

Kind regards,

Dr. Maria Elina Bichuette
Dr. Yahui Zhao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • subterranean fish
  • population ecology
  • diversity
  • conservation
  • troglomorphisms

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3418 KiB  
Article
It’s Time for Dinner, a Particular and Seasonal Feeding Habit of a Threatened Troglobitic Catfish from Brazil, Rhamdiopsis krugi Bockmann & Castro 2010 (Ostaryophysi, Siluriformes)
by Maria E. Bichuette
Fishes 2024, 9(12), 494; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9120494 - 2 Dec 2024
Viewed by 834
Abstract
Rhamdiopsis krugi is a highly specialized troglobitic (exclusively subterranean) catfish endemic to the phreatic water bodies of twelve caves located within two separated metasedimentary basins in the region of Chapada Diamantina, Bahia state, Brazil. This species is included in the List of Endangered [...] Read more.
Rhamdiopsis krugi is a highly specialized troglobitic (exclusively subterranean) catfish endemic to the phreatic water bodies of twelve caves located within two separated metasedimentary basins in the region of Chapada Diamantina, Bahia state, Brazil. This species is included in the List of Endangered Fauna of Brazil, under the Vulnerable category—VU. In general, troglobites have different strategies for searching for food and reproductive partners, as well as unique behaviors. Knowledge of the reproductive periods, as well as its feeding habits, provides fundamental data for effective protection and species conservation. Biological aspects related to feeding habits and reproduction of R. krugi were addressed across six annual cycles, considering both dry and rainy seasons. For this, stomach content analysis, using the frequency of occurrence and volumetric index methods, as well as observation of the sex ratio and stage of maturation of the gonads were carried out for 148 individuals of R. krugi sampled in eight caves in Chapada Diamantina. Stomach volumes correlated with reproduction aspects across the dry and rainy seasons. These populations showed opportunistic carnivorous feeding habits, consuming both autochthonous and allochthonous items, with a preference for foraging in submerged guano deposits, which demonstrates the catfish’s strong dependence on bats. Regarding sex ratios, there was no marked seasonality; however, in rainy seasons, there was a higher proportion of maturing females, showing a reproductive tendency. During these periods, there was also a significantly higher number of stomachs with contents, showing seasonality in the diet. Specialized diet and dependence on rainy periods, especially in diet, corroborate the fragility of R. krugi, especially considering the changes in rainfall regimes in Brazil, with dry seasons exceeding eight months per year in the last ten years. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavior, Ecology and Evolution of Subterranean Fish)
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10 pages, 3952 KiB  
Article
Population Size and Spatial Distribution of the Mexican Blind Cavefish (Astyanax) within the Caves
by Luis Espinasa, Rose L. Tatarsky, Michael Kevin Girard, Michael Sandone, Sylvie Rétaux and Jordi Espinasa
Fishes 2024, 9(9), 334; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9090334 - 26 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1304
Abstract
The most studied cavefish in the world is Astyanax mexicanus, and the most frequently used specimens in research come from the Pachón cave in Northeast Mexico. A recent study using the capture–mark–recapture technique revealed that the Pachón population size is only in the [...] Read more.
The most studied cavefish in the world is Astyanax mexicanus, and the most frequently used specimens in research come from the Pachón cave in Northeast Mexico. A recent study using the capture–mark–recapture technique revealed that the Pachón population size is only in the hundreds of individuals, not in the thousands. This result raises serious concerns about their long-term survival and highlights the need to accurately estimate the population size of other Astyanax caves. In our study, we used a well-established, non-invasive method for estimating population size: the transect sampling method, which counts the abundance of organisms along a line at regular intervals. We used the 310 m long Sabinos Cave’s Pool #1 for measurements and estimated a population of 1142 individuals. Most importantly, we found that cavefish are not distributed uniformly: 68% of the individuals were clustered under a bat roost. To corroborate this observation, we used drones to explore submerged galleries inaccessible to scientists. Results from the Toro/Calera Cave system confirmed that most galleries were essentially void of cavefish, except for in those few areas with high amounts of nutrients. Scientists visiting the most studied Astyanax localities (Pachón, Sabinos, Tinaja, and Chica) experience what appear to be high-density populations of about 10 fish/m2, possibly because the pool they visit happens to be under bat roosts. Our study shows that one cannot extrapolate the density at these localities to the rest of the habitat, where densities might be two orders of magnitude lower. Future studies should consider that the apparent high density at visited sites is overrepresenting the total population size when calculating the number of fish specimens to be captured. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavior, Ecology and Evolution of Subterranean Fish)
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Review

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34 pages, 27775 KiB  
Review
Fishes in Marine Caves
by Marcelo Kovačić, Vasilis Gerovasileiou and Robert A. Patzner
Fishes 2024, 9(6), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9060243 - 20 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2833
Abstract
Fishes in marine caves have attracted limited attention by the scientific community in comparison to subterranean fishes which have lost eyes and pigmentation. They constitute a largely unexplored component of marine fish diversity, except for the relatively well-studied marine caves of the Mediterranean [...] Read more.
Fishes in marine caves have attracted limited attention by the scientific community in comparison to subterranean fishes which have lost eyes and pigmentation. They constitute a largely unexplored component of marine fish diversity, except for the relatively well-studied marine caves of the Mediterranean Sea. These habitats are characterized by steep environmental gradients of decreasing light and decreasing water exchange. The fishes recorded so far in marine caves are not exclusive residents of this habitat and they are also present at least in the other mesolithial habitats. In the Mediterranean marine caves, 132 fishes have been recorded to date, representing about 17% of the total Mediterranean fish species richness. Most of these species are reported from the anterior cave zones where some light still exists, while a smaller number of species are known from the totally dark zones. Among them, 27.3% are accidental visitors, 53.8% are the regular mesolithial visitors and switchers between mesolithion and open water, 5.3% are permanent residents of the mesolithion, but also occur in other habitats, and 13.6% are exclusive permanent residents of mesolithion. Some mesolithial exclusive permanent residents recorded in marine caves share similar morphology, probably as adaptations to these habitats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavior, Ecology and Evolution of Subterranean Fish)
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