RE: KillieTalk Digest V4 #445

[Barry Cooper <bjc3 at cornell_edu>]

DAve,

I have not seen this paper as I don't have ready access to the journal.

Are you saying that the only basis for separation for these two species is 
color patterns? If so, I would question whether it will withstand the test 
of time. There are many examples of single species that come in quite 
variable color forms. Look at the forms of N. kafuensis, for example. Would 
we say that two people with different color hair are different species?

Is there any meristic and/or DNA data to support this reclassification?

Barry

At 07:06 AM 9/25/2002 -0700, you wrote:
>Can anyone provide the basic details of Costa's recent assignment of myersi
>to the genus Simpsonichthys and of the "red" whitei to a new species?
>
>Lee Harper
>Media, Pa
>
>Lee,
>
>I looked over the paper by Costa last night from the Icthyological
>Exploration of Freshwaters.  As for the difference between Nematolebias
>whitei and papilliferus I examined the photos and checked both of my stocks
>that are labeled "whitei" and discovered that I had both fish.  Costa does
>give a way to distinguish differences but after examining the photos and
>looking at the fish it was blatantly obvious they are different.  Nem.
>whitei is distinguished in the males by patterns of the gold pearl spots on
>the flanks of the body.  Although the pattern seems regular, on the Nem.
>papilliferus those spots form vertical bars.  Further differentiating
>species, what are patterned rows of pearl spots on the unpaired fins of Nem.
>whitei become solid stripes between the rays in Nem. papilliferus.
>
>What separates "myersi" into Simpsonicthys is not very obvious and the
>reasons are primarily dorsal fin ray patterns.  Which, guess what, is
>suggesting further review of Simpsonicthys and potential further
>splitting!!!!
>
>The fish that have been distributed as Nem. whitei Barra de Sao Joao (U.S.
>source was Dan Nielsen) are Nem. papilliferus.  A few years ago I received
>some Nem. whitei red from Matt Hirvonen shortly after he moved from Madison,
>WI which were labeled F3's.  Observing this fish, it definitely is Nem.
>whitei.  Whether the "red" form that others have is "whitei" needs to be
>determined.  A map accompanied the article.  In the immediate area around
>Cabo Frio one finds Nem. whitei, both north and south of the town along the
>coast and on several sites north of the "lagoon" created by the barrier
>beach immediately to the west and south west of Cabo Frio.  However, as one
>approaches closer to Rio de Janerio one finds the Nem. papilliferus (it
>looks like near the towns of Bunche and Manca to the west of Manoel Ribeiro
>which is on the north side of that particular lagoon and on the north west
>side of the next series of lagoons immediately to the east, between Jacone
>and Sampalo Correia).
>
>I hope you find this useful.
>
>Dave Koran
>
>
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Barry J. Cooper, Prof. Emeritus, Dept. Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University
Adjunct faculty, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University
Home address: 27505 Riggs Hill Rd., Sweet Home, OR 97386 (bjc3 at cornell_edu)


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