Allotoca is a genus of splitfins that are endemic to west-central and southwest Mexico, where restricted to the LernaChapalaGrande de Santiago, Ameca and Balsas river basins, as well as various endorheic lake basins in Michoacán and Jalisco (Pátzcuaro, Zirahuén, Cuitzeo, Magdalena and others).[1][2][3][4] All Allotoca species are seriously threatened.[4]

Allotoca
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Goodeidae
Subfamily: Goodeinae
Genus: Allotoca
C. L. Hubbs & C. L. Turner, 1939
Type species
Fundulus dugesii
Bean, 1887

The largest Allotoca is up to 12 cm (4.7 in) long, but most species only reach between half and three-quarter that size.[3]

Unusually, A. catarinae is probably the result of an ancient translocation by humans in the pre-Columbian era (similar ancient human-assisted translocations are known from certain birds in Mexico). The translocation happened at least 700 years ago and most likely about 1900 years ago. The ancestral species then evolved into A. catarinae at its new isolated location in the Cupatitzio River, a tributary of the Balsas River.[1]

Species edit

FishBase recognizes eight species in this genus,[3] but their taxonomy is complex and in need of a review.[1] One of the species recognized by FishBase, A. regalis, is distinctive and sometimes placed in its own genus Neoophorus.[2][5]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Corona-Santiago, D.K.; I. Doadrio; O. Domínguez-Domínguez (2015). "Evolutionary History of the Live-Bearing Endemic Allotoca diazi Species Complex (Actinopterygii, Goodeinae): Evidence of Founder Effect Events in the Mexican Pre-Hispanic Period". PLOS ONE. 10 (5): e0124138. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1024138C. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0124138. PMC 4422623. PMID 25946217.
  2. ^ a b Meyer, K.M.; A.C. Radda; O.D. Domínguez (2001). "Notes on the genera Neoophorus Hubbs & Turner, 1937 and Allotoca Hubbs & Turner, 1937, with a description of a new species of Allotoca from Laguna de Zacapu, Michoacán, Mexico (Teleostei, Cyprinodontiformes: Goodeidae)". Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. Serie B für Botanik und Zoologie. 103 (B): 453–460.
  3. ^ a b c Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2018). Species of Allotoca in FishBase. August 2018 version.
  4. ^ a b Ceballos, G.; E.D. Pardo; L.M. Estévez; H.E. Pérez, eds. (2016). Los peces dulceacuícolas de México en peligro de extinción. pp. 290–300, 438. ISBN 978-607-16-4087-1.
  5. ^ "Taxonomy and Phylogeny". Goodeid Working Group. Retrieved 24 September 2018.