Trichomycterus uisae

biology_ecology

Ecological notes. The Cueva El Misterio is located at the east side of a plateau known as Mesa de los Santos, in the Municipio de los Santos. The plateau has Cretaceous sedimentary rocks and limestones of the Rosablanca Formation (Williams, 1990); reaches 1800 meters above sea level and is located on the oriental versant of the Chicamocha Canyon, in the Colombian Andes, of Santander Department. The cave, with a total of 110 m of explored passages, is isolated from the epigean stream and is oriented longitudinally with galleries formed by gentle slope tunnels and narrow passageways. The cave has small wells interconnected by reduced descending channels where water infiltration was observed. In dry months, an isolated sump pool was observed at each gallery. The bottom of each well is rocky and contains much sediment composed chiefly of bat excrement. Cydnid bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) were found inside the wells. Diptera, crayfish and bats were observed in the interior of the galleries (Fig. 9). Water temperature, when the holotype was collected, was 20 ° C and cave temperature was 18.5 ° C.

Trichomycterus uisae: a new species of hypogean catfish (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) from the northeastern Andean Cordillera of Colombia

description

Description. Morphometric data presented in Table 1. Body elongated, deeper than wide, gradually deeper from trunk toward caudal peduncle; dorsal profile of trunk convex. Ventral profile of trunk straight. Dorsal and ventral profiles of caudal peduncle slightly convex. Integument thick with lateral cutaneous folds forming vertical rings between pectoral and anal fins in specimens preserved in alcohol. Anal and urogenital openings closer to pelvic-fin base than to anal-fin origin, totally covered when pelvic fin extended. Free vertebrae 35. Pleural ribs 11 - 12. Head wide, trapezoidal, depressed in dorsal view. Dorsal profile of head straight, ventral and lateral profiles convex. Eye small, black, rounded, well defined, with variable diameter, positioned dorsally on anterior half of head. Mouth subterminal, with corners oriented backwards. Lower lip with conspicuously fleshy lateral lobes. Teeth conical, curved, arranged in 3 - 4 irregular rows on upper jaw and three rows on lower jaw. Jaw muscles not particularly developed and not bulging from surface of head. Neurocranium with elongate mesethmoid T-shape. Anterior fontanel small, oval in shape, located between frontals at level of

Trichomycterus uisae: a new species of hypogean catfish (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) from the northeastern Andean Cordillera of Colombia

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Trichomycterus uisae (Figs. 2 - 3) is distinguished from both epigean and troglomorphic species of the genus by the following combination of characters: anterior and posterior fontanels separated but connected by a narrow channel (vs. fontanels separated by epiphyseal bar); five to nine opercular odontodes (vs. 8 to 16); reduced mouth width (32.6 - 41.2 % of HL); relatively deep head (48.6 - 66.3 % of HL); reduced pigmentation (except for epigean T. gorgona and caverestricted congeners T. chaberti, T. itacarambiensis, T. sandovali, T. santanderensis and T. spelaeus) consisting of a narrow predorsal dark bluish-gray stripe from nape to origin of dorsal fin and ground coloration light-brown without spots (vs. pigmented body with dark spots); variable reduction of eyes from 7.4 to 11.1 % of HL (except for epigean T. gorgona and hypogean T. chaberti, T. itacarambensis and T. santanderensis); extended nasal, maxillary and rictal barbels (85.2 - 108 %, 93.6 - 111.8 % and 55.1 - 70.2 % of HL, respectively); caudal fin with slightly convex margin, dorsal lobe of caudalfin longer than ventral lobe. Other characters shared with various other species of Trichomycterus yet useful fo

Trichomycterus uisae: a new species of hypogean catfish (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) from the northeastern Andean Cordillera of Colombia

etymology

Etymology. The specific epithet “ uisae ” refers to the acronym UIS corresponding to the Universidad Industrial de Santander, in the Departamento de Santander, Colombia. The name is used as a noun in apposition.

Trichomycterus uisae: a new species of hypogean catfish (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) from the northeastern Andean Cordillera of Colombia