ABSTRACT
Populations of endemic Croatian dace were found to belong to two different species, one of which is first described in this study. Telestes karsticus sp. nov. differed morphologically from Telestes polylepis in the total count of lateral line scales, number of gill rakers and the shape of the posterior margin of the anal fin. Morphological differences were corroborated with mtDNA analyses (with p-distance between T. polylepis and T. karsticus sp. nov. ranging between 3·2 and 4·1%; and the number of substitutions between 37 and 47). The newly described species is geographically very localized. It has been recorded from only four localities around Velika Kapela and Mala Kapela mountains in Croatia.
Subject(s)
Cyprinidae/classification , Animals , Conservation of Natural Resources , Croatia , Cyprinidae/anatomy & histology , Cyprinidae/genetics , Geography , Pigmentation , RiversABSTRACT
An isolated population of the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus in Croatia was found to have a high incidence of specimens either having a fourth dorsal spine or showing remnants of a fourth spine. Juvenile individuals showed a 9.4% incidence of a fourth spine. The population was examined for asymmetry of the skeletal defensive complex in order to determine whether the additional spine could be the result of developmental instability, a response to predation or environmental conditions.