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

摘要-DEB 0314849向美国自然历史博物馆的Scott Schaefer博士授予了一项赠款，用于修订星形虫科安第斯鲶鱼的地理和分类多样性的分类和分析。星虫是安第斯山脉为数不多的本土鱼类之一。迄今已确认的54种物种分布在从巴拿马到玻利维亚的热带安第斯山脉的中海拔到高海拔溪流中，并出现在西太平洋和东亚马孙斜坡流域系统中。由于它们出现在源头溪流中，星虫是各种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、生态和分布的了解还很初级。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度优先地区的星虫和安第斯鱼类多样性。这项研究将产生一个全面的综合星虫分类和生物多样性，新的物种描述，鉴定工具，和数据库的安第斯鱼类。热带安第斯山脉是世界上生物多样性最丰富的热点地区，是成千上万种在其他地方找不到的动植物的家园。安第斯鱼类区系鲜为人知，而且由于栖息地变化而在当地濒临灭绝。该项目将在更广泛的努力中提供有关安第斯鱼类多样性和分布的重要新信息，以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养护区域。该项目还将通过美国博物馆的教育推广方案，通过对城市高中少数民族青年和理科本科生进行实验室培训，促进鱼类学和安第斯生物地理学方面的中等和本科教育。

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.