Distribution and conservation of subterranean fishes of Iran: insights from a new locality

• Published in: Environmental biology of fishes Vol. 108; no. 1; pp. 161 - 170
• Main Authors: Hashemzadeh Segherloo, Iraj, Abdolahi-Mousavi, Seyed Eisa, Akbari Birgani, Ali, Normandeau, Eric, Hallerman, Eric, Bernatchez, Louis, Freyhof, Jörg
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.01.2025; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography; Aquifers; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Conservation; Environment; Fish; Fishing; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Garra; Genetic relationship; genomics; Geographical distribution; Habitats; Haplotypes; hybrids; Iran; Karst; karsts; Life Sciences; Local population; Mitochondrial DNA; Mountains; Nature Conservation; Population studies; species; Zoology; Iran; Mitochondrial DNA; Karst; Zagros Mountains; Subterranean fishes; Divergent evolution; Genotyping-by-sequencing
• ISSN: 0378-1909; 1573-5133
• DOI: 10.1007/s10641-024-01629-9

Here, we report a new locality for a subterranean species of Garra in the Zagros Mountains of Iran. The mitochondrial DNA of fish from this locality is closely related to that of G. typhlops , but genomic data and presence of a mental disc are indicative of a possibly hybrid origin for the analyzed individual. Based on the genetic relationships among the Iranian subterranean Garra species and Eidinemacheilus smithi from different habitats, we infer that their respective karst habitats are isolated and might have been colonized by surface-dwelling ancestors independently. Based on the inferences made in this study, we suggest that subterranean fishes of Iran are mostly composed of small, local populations, a factor which must be considered in conservation planning.