20/03/2025
New research focuses on the endemic Corydoradinae species from the high-altitude, fast-flowing rivers of northwestern Argentina, offering insight into the morphological and behavioural characteristics associated with the high torrentiality of the Andean rivers they inhabit. 𝑈𝑟𝑘𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑢 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑢𝑠, 𝑈. 𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑦𝑠𝑎𝑒, 𝑈. 𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑖, and the newly described 𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑎 𝑜𝑠𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑑𝑜𝑖 face significant threats, including habitat degradation, pollution, and anthropogenic disturbances, particularly 𝑈. 𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑖 and 𝑈. 𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑦𝑠𝑎𝑒, which are classified as Critically Endangered.
Open-access - https://www.lillo.org.ar/journals/index.php/acta-zoologica-lilloana/article/view/2076
"This study underscores the critical importance of conserving these ecosystems, providing insights into the interplay between morphology, behavior, and environmental pressures, and advancing our understanding of species diversification in Neotropical freshwater ecosystems."
𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
Morphofunctional anatomy, swimming behavior and conservation of Corydoradinae species from Northwestern La Plata basin
𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Alonso, F., Terán, G. E., Aguilera, G., Serra Alanis, W. S., & Mirande, J. M. (2025). Morphofunctional anatomy, swimming behavior and conservation of Corydoradinae species from Northwestern La Plata basin. Acta Zoológica Lilloana, 51–57. https://doi.org/10.30550/j.azl/2076
𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
This study focuses on endemic Corydoradinae species from the northwestern La Plata River basin, specifically 𝑈𝑟𝑘𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑢 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑢𝑠, 𝑈𝑟𝑘𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑢 𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑦𝑠𝑎𝑒, 𝑈𝑟𝑘𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑢 𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑖, and 𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑎 𝑜𝑠𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑑𝑜𝑖, inhabiting piedmont high-altitude, fast-flowing Andean rivers.
Using direct behavioral observations and morphometric analyses, we characterized their swimming behavior and its relationship to the morphology and their habitat conditions characterized by intense seasonal flooding during the summer. The findings reveal that Corydoradinae from these environments exhibit unique swimming behaviors, such as energy-efficient tripod-like resting postures, driven by negative buoyancy and streamlined body shapes. Morphological traits such as reduced pectoral and dorsal-fin spines and lower body depth enhance hydrodynamic efficiency. Comparisons with congeners from low-flow environments highlight evolutionary convergence within the species from different lineages.
Conservation assessments reveal significant threats to these species, including habitat degradation, pollution, and anthropogenic disturbances, particularly for 𝑈. 𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑖 and 𝑈. 𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑦𝑠𝑎𝑒, which are classified as Critically Endangered.
This study underscores the critical importance of conserving these ecosystems, providing insights into the interplay between morphology, behavior, and environmental pressures, and advancing our understanding of species diversification in Neotropical freshwater ecosystems.
𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Excellent sci-comm poster produced for this paper.
Copyright © 2025 the Author(s). Published in Acta Zoológica Lilloana journal. This paper is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/