Lourdes Higueras, a recent graduate of the National University of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands (UNTDF), made an important discovery in her final thesis: the identification of a new species of freshwater fish never before recorded in the province.
The Institute of Polar Sciences, Environment, and Natural Resources (Icpa) of UNTDF proudly celebrated Lourdes’ graduation, who presented her thesis titled “Validation of the presence of the genus Aplochiton (Pisces: Galaxiidae) in Tierra del Fuego” on December 18th. This research served to confirm the presence of Aplochiton zebra, a previously unknown freshwater species in the streams of Tierra del Fuego. This discovery represents a significant advancement in the knowledge of the aquatic biodiversity of the region.
The research was led by Dr. Cristina Nardi, assistant professor and researcher at Conicet in Icpa-UNTDF, and co-directed by Dr. Tomás Chalde, a researcher at Cadic-Conicet. Lourdes used a combination of morphological analysis and DNA-based molecular techniques to validate the presence of this species on the island.
In fact, the discovery of Aplochiton zebra has important implications for the conservation and sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems in Tierra del Fuego. This finding highlights the natural richness of the province and the need to continue exploring its biodiversity to properly protect it. In addition to showcasing Lourdes Higueras’ research excellence, this achievement reinforces UNTDF’s commitment to training high-level professionals and promoting scientific knowledge.
Characteristics of this new species of freshwater fish
The barred peladilla or barred farionela (Aplochiton zebra) is a species of the euryhaline fish genus Aplochiton, from the Galaxiidae family in the Osmeriformes order. It inhabits cold to cool-cold waters in southern South America. This species reaches up to 27.8 cm in total length and inhabits cold to cool-cold waters in central-southern and southern Chile and western and southwestern Argentina, in the Andean lakes and rivers, as well as the Falkland Islands. This is because they prefer an amphidromous habitat.
This species, originally described in 1842 by the English naturalist Leonard Jenyns, differs from Aplochiton taeniatus in body shape. This specimen is taller, with its ventral fins closer to the pectoral fins, a shorter maxilla, and a proportionally shorter and wider head.
Moreover, they can be recognized by their silvery coloration, transitioning to whitish on the ventral side, with a golden hue on the fins, especially at the apical half. Additionally, on the flanks, over a grayish background, they show irregular transverse bars and dark spots covering their entire body.
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