Fundulus caddo, Fast, Hundt, Alley, and Sandel, New Species

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 5DCE2003-A19E-4325-8C20-062BC0AB5A0F

Ouachita Studfish

Figs. 6–7

Holotype. JFBM 50603 (1 alc.; female), from JFBM 40428, Caddo River at Caddo Gap, 34.39777, -93.62171, Montgomery Co., Arkansas, U.S.A., 29 May 2002.

Paratopotype. JFBM 40428 (43 alc.), Caddo River at Caddo Gap, 34.39777, -93.62171, Montgomery Co., Arkansas, U.S.A., 29 May 2002 .

Paratypes. JFBM 48545 (5 alc. 95%), Caddo River at Caddo Gap, gravel bar along County Road 8, just N of County Road 240, 34.38495, -93.60635, Montgomery Co., Arkansas, U.S.A., 30 April 1999 . JFBM 30488 (9 alc.), Ouachita River at U.S. Highway 270, 3.5 miles W of Mt. Ida, 34.61089, -93.69793, Montgomery Co., Arkansas, U.S.A., 30 April 1999 . JFBM 30406 (12 alc.), Tenmile Creek at U.S.A. Highway 70, 2 miles E of Nancy, 34.54527, -92.75372, Saline Co., Arkansas, U. S.A., 30 April 1999 .

UAIC 10065.09 (56 alc.), Caddo River at Caddo Gap, ca. 0.25 mi off AR Hwy 8, 34.45, -93.7911, Montgomery Co., Arkansas, U.S.A., 27 March 1991 . UAIC 7736.02 (20 alc.), Caddo River at US Hwy 70 bridge, Gleenwood, 34.3214, -93.5525, Pike Co., Arkansas, U.S.A., 26 July 1984 .

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other members in the complex as a distinct lineage as determined by molecular phylogenetic and population genomic evidence (Hundt et al. 2016, this study) and by its limited distribution (Figure 5B).

Description. Same as Fundulus catenatus . Meristic characters as follows: dorsal rays 12–16 (modally 14), anal rays 3–17 (modally 15), left pectoral rays 16–18 (modally 17), caudal rays 15–18 (modally 17), lateral scale rows 12–15 (modally 13), lateral scales 40–50 (modally 45) (Table 1).

Distribution. This species is native to the Red, Ouachita, and Saline drainages in the Ouachita Highlands.

Etymology. The common name, Ouachita Studfish, refers to the Ouachita Highlands in the United States where the fish is endemic. Fundulus caddo sp. nov. is described from the Caddo River. The specific epithet caddo honors the Caddo Nation who are the descendants of early inhabitants of the Ouachita Highlands. Treated as a noun in apposition.