REVSYS: Revisionary Systematics of the Andean Astroblepid Catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes)

摘要：美国自然历史博物馆的Scott Schaefer博士获得了一项资助，用于对安第斯州Astroblepidae科鲶鱼的地理和分类多样性进行修订分类和分析。Astroblepids是安第斯山脉鱼类中为数不多的一种。迄今为止已确认的54种分布在热带安第斯山脉从巴拿马到玻利维亚的中高海拔溪流中，并出现在西太平洋和东亚马逊斜坡排水系统中。因为它们出现在源头溪流中，所以astrobleids是多样性和具有重要经济意义的低地河流状况的重要指标，但我们对它们的多样性、生态学和分布的认识还很初级。该项目将分析所有现有的博物馆标本，并记录南美洲三个高优先区域的星盘鱼和安第斯鱼的多样性。该研究将产生一个综合的星形类分类和生物多样性、新物种描述、鉴定工具和安第斯鱼类数据库。热带安第斯山脉是世界上生物多样性最丰富的热点地区，也是其他地方找不到的数千种动植物的家园。安第斯山脉的鱼类动物群鲜为人知，并且由于栖息地的改变而在当地濒临灭绝。该项目将提供关于安第斯鱼类多样性和分布的重要新资料，以更广泛地了解产生高度多样化的安第斯生物群的过程，并评估新热带地区的优先保护区域。该项目还将通过对城市高中少数民族青年的实验室培训，以及通过美国博物馆的教育推广项目对理科生的本科和本科鱼类学和安第斯生物地理学的教育做出贡献。

Abstract - DEB 0314849 A grant has been awarded to Dr. Scott Schaefer of the American Museum of Natural History to produce a revised classification and analysis of geographic and taxonomic diversity of the Andean catfishes of the family Astroblepidae. Astroblepids are one of very few native groups of Andean fishes. The 54 species recognized to date are distributed in moderate to high elevation streams of the tropical Andes from Panama to Bolivia and occur in both the western Pacific and eastern Amazonian slope drainage systems. Because they occur in headwater streams, astroblepids are important indicators of the status of the diverse and economically important lowland rivers, yet our knowledge of their diversity, ecology, and distribution is rudimentary. This project will analyze all existing museum specimens and document astroblepid and Andean fish diversity at three high priority regions of South America. The research will produce a comprehensive synthesis of astroblepid taxonomy and biodiversity, new species descriptions, identification tools, and database of Andean fishes. The tropical Andes are the richest of the world's hotspots for biological diversity and home to thousands of plants and animals that are found nowhere else. The Andean fish fauna is poorly known and locally endangered by habitat alteration. This project will contribute important new information on the diversity and distribution of Andean fishes in broader efforts to understand the processes responsible for producing the highly diverse Andean biota and the assessment of priority areas for conservation in the Neotropics. This project will also contribute to secondary and undergraduate education in ichthyology and Andean biogeography via laboratory training of urban high school minority youth and undergraduate science students via educational outreach programs at the American Museum.