KILLI - DATA SERIES, 2024, Huber and Meinema, intra-lacustrine Panatnodontidae speciation in brackish inland Lake Turkana, with description of 1 genus and 3 species.

Killi-Data Series 2024 [100 pages, as a print, ISBN 978-2-9547546-6-6, as a PDF document, ISBN 978-2-9547546-7-3]

Killi-Data Series 2024, 71-99, 20 figs.

Exceptional intra-lacustrine speciation in brackish inland Lake Turkana, with description of Eremodon nov.gen. and two new species, in comparison to coastal Aliteranodon effusorium n. sp. (Pantanodontidae; Cyprinodontiformes)

VJean H. Huber and Eduard Meinema. 

Abstract : Additional research after previous review of extant and fossil Pantanodontidae confirms the presence of an inland lineage of extant East African Pantanodontidae, herein described as Eremodon nov.gen., with type species Eremodon cochleari n. sp., based on a small collection from Ferguson Gulf (Lake Turkana, Kenya). Haplochilichthys jeanneli Pellegrin, 1935 is herein determined as a member of Pantanodontidae and assigned to Eremodon nov.gen. A third cryptic species is disclosed among a collection of Micropanchax rudolfianus (Worthington, 1932) and described herein as Eremodon kifuani n. sp. The presence of three closely related congeners in Lake Turkana is a case of intra-lacustrine speciation. Due to the construction of a hydroelectric powerplant in the Lower Omo Valley all fish species in the lake should be considered as endangered. A species from Gazi (Kenya), tentatively included in Aliteranodon by Meinema & Huber (2023), is herein confirmed in genus and described as a distinct species: Aliteranodon effusorium n. sp. Additionally a previously overseen species from Garsen (Kenya) is herein, pending on new material, assigned to Aliteranodon. The origin, i.e. relation of extant and fossil Pantanodontidae, as well as a hypothesis for the absence, i.e. loss of jaw teeth in Pantanodon and Aliteranodon, are discussed. An updated redescription of M. rudolfianus is given and a lectotype is designated from syntypes. Further, apparently spine-like pelvic first fin ray and further bifurcated others, posteriorly, are disclosed in standard lampeye Aapticheilichthys websteri, but they are totally different from Pantanodontidae. A new diagnostic character, asymmetric pelvic fins, is added to extant Pantanodontidae, pending further research on large samples. Finally, the authors discuss the distribution of Pantanodontidae according to new hypotheses of palaeo-microplates.