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25/06/2026

An interesting study on microhabitat use by fishes from the mountainous headwaters of the northwestern La Plata Basin, Argentina, a freshwater region of conservation priority with a highly endemic ichthyofauna. Researchers, after more than two decades of fieldwork in the Andean headwaters of the Bermejo and Juramento river basins, compiled over 81 hours of direct observations and nearly eighteen hours of underwater video recordings to document how these fishes live in their natural environments.

Results from this fieldwork reveal patterns of habitat partitioning, nursery areas, mixed-species shoals, altitudinal segregation, predatory behaviour, aggressive mimicry, commensal feeding, and the relationship between colouration and habitat use, providing new insights into the ecology and evolution of these unique freshwater fishes.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
Habitat use, coloration, and behavioral observations of fishes from mountainous headwaters of the northwestern La Plata basin

Open-access - https://www.lillo.org.ar/journals/index.php/acta-zoologica-lilloana/article/view/2380

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Alonso, F., Irigoyen, A. J., Aguilera, G., Terán, G. E., Serra Alanis, W. S., Mettola, V. E., Waldbilling, M. M., Merlo, P. J., Trobbiani, G., Méndez López, A., Avigliano, E., Montes, M. M. ., Pandolfi, M., & Mirande, J. M. (2026). Habitat use, coloration, and behavioral observations of fishes from mountainous headwaters of the northwestern La Plata basin. Acta Zoológica Lilloana, 413–450. https://doi.org/10.30550/j.azl/2380

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
We describe microhabitat use and provide observations on the coloration and behavior of fishes from the mountainous headwaters of the northwestern La Plata Basin, a highly endemic freshwater region of high conservation priority.

Using underwater observations, video recordings, and in situ photography, we documented habitat associations, school formation, species interactions, and the potential ecological role of coloration patterns. In watercourses of the Bermejo and Juramento river basins we accumulated approximately 81.5 h of direct observations and 17 h 36 min of underwater video recordings. Fish assemblages showed marked habitat partitioning: benthic specialists (e.g., 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑦𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑧𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑖, 𝑅𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑎 𝑠𝑝𝑝., 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑚 𝑠𝑝𝑝., and 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑟𝑖) were concentrated in riffles and high-velocity microhabitats, whereas many characiforms were more frequent in pools and moderate-flow sections. Shallow vegetated secondary arms frequently functioned as nursery habitats by concentrating juveniles. Size-based altitudinal segregation observed in 𝐴𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑟𝑦𝑐𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑗𝑎𝑒 (adults upstream; juveniles downstream) suggests a life cycle linked to elevation gradients and a possible reproductive migration.

We also recorded notable behaviors, including aggressive mimicry in 𝑂𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑠, contrasting predatory strategies of 𝑆𝑎𝑙𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠, and commensal feeding by small characiforms following substrate-disturbing individuals of 𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑎.

These results highlight the importance of structural habitat heterogeneity and the need for conservation measures to mitigate anthropogenic impacts such as river ca**lization.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Top left - Catfish species recorded: A) 𝐻𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑢𝑠 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠s; B) 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑦𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑧𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑖, C) 𝑈𝑟𝑘𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑢 𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑦𝑠𝑎𝑒, D) 𝑈𝑟𝑘𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑢 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑢𝑠, E) 𝐻𝑦𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑢𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑐ℎ𝑙𝑖𝑜𝑑𝑜𝑛, F) 𝑅𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑏𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖, G) 𝑅𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑎 𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠.
Top right - Study sites. Bermejo river basin: A) Stream in Lesser (-24.682152°, -65.476162°, 762 m asl), Salta province, B) an unnamed stream along National Route 50 (-23.055411°, -64.343825°, 351 m asl), C) Bermejo River (-23.192536°, -64.183119°, 306 m asl), D) Parque Nacional El Rey at Popayán River (-24.730694°, -64.575028°, 786 m asl), E) Geiser Mollinedo (-24.416999°, -63.990999°, 357 m asl), and F) Laguna La Quinta (-23.884175°, -64.467428°, 627 m asl), G) Aguas Calientes (-23.744398°, -64.519017°, 411 m asl); and in the Juramento River Basin: H) the Calchaquí River near Payogasta (-25.050156°, -66.105744°, 2433 m asl).
Bottom - Characiforme species recorded: A) 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑟𝑖, B) 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑚 𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑖, C) 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑠, D) 𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑎, E) 𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠, F) 𝐴𝑟ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑏𝑡𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠.

© 2026 the Author(s). Published in the journal Acta Zoológica Lilloana. An open-access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0) deed. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

23/06/2026

🐢Big news for tortoise keepers and sellers! From today, 3 Mediterranean tortoise species: Spur-thighed (Testudo graeca), Hermann's (Testudo hermanni), and Marginated (Testudo marginata) will no longer require A10 certificates for captive-bred specimens for domestic commercial use. Marking will also no longer be required under the Wildlife Trade Regulations.

If you already hold an A10 certificate for these species, don't worry - it remains valid and should be kept as proof of legal acquisition.

19/06/2026

Researchers present a morphological revision of the thirteen wild 𝐵𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑎 species found in Thailand. Split into two groups, mouth-brooders (𝐵𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑎 𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑛, 𝐵. 𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑥, 𝐵. 𝑘𝑢𝑒ℎ𝑛𝑒𝑖, 𝐵. 𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑎, 𝐵. 𝑝𝑖, 𝐵. 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑎, 𝐵. 𝑝𝑢𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑥, and 𝐵. 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑥), and bubble-nesters (𝐵. 𝑖𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑠, 𝐵. 𝑚𝑎ℎ𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠, 𝐵. 𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠, 𝐵. 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎, and 𝐵. 𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠), specimens were collected as close to the type locality as reported in the original species description. A dichotomous key for species identification based on individual species distinguishing characteristics is provided.

"Based on morphological descriptions, revealed documents, and statistical a**lyses, the diagnostic characteristics were considered to generate a dichotomous key for the 13 wild fighting fish species, with characteristics illustrated with accompanying explanations for better understanding. This identification key refers to the traits selection approach, which uses certain differences in morphometric and meristic characteristics to classify the fighting fishes into subgroups and uses the appearance of melanophore pigmentation in various locations on the head, body and fins to identify them at the species level. In addition to previous studies, we also attempted to select for the persistence of traits in specimens exhibiting various conditions, particularly immaturity, s*x, and preserved conditions. Additionally, live specimen coloration was also mentioned as an alternative option for the identification key. This study also used additional traits to classify the fighting fish species, such as the connection of the posterior part of central and ventral stripes, the termination line of the ventral stripe, and scattered spots along the caudal fin membrane. Finally, we hope that this study will be beneficial for taxonomy. Accurate species identification enhances breeding conservation and contributing resource management that minimizes wild catches."

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
Morphological Revision of Thirteen Wild Fighting Fish Species Found in Thailand with an Identification Key

Open-access - https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/18/6/334

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Poungcharean, S., Wudtisin, I., Sirisuay, S., Pichitkul, P., & Janekitkarn, S. (2026). Morphological Revision of Thirteen Wild Fighting Fish Species Found in Thailand with an Identification Key. Diversity, 18(6), 334. https://doi.org/10.3390/d18060334

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
Morphological descriptions of 13 wild fighting fish species were revised by examining specimens collected as near as possible to the type specimen localities.

The description has been revised for certainty and consistency. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Kruskal–Wallis with Dunn’s post hoc tests were a**lyzed and revealed previously described morphological characteristics were evaluated for distinguishing features.

The PCA showed that the high loading factor of the principal component 1 (PC1) indicated that head length (0.221) was beneficial for the fish species identification. The Kruskal–Wallis test indicated the significant differences in morphometric characteristics among the fish species (p < 0.05). Then the significant differences in Dunn’s post hoc test (p < 0.001) in head length distinguished the mouth-brooders (i.e., 𝐵𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑎 𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑛, 𝐵. 𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑥, 𝐵. 𝑘𝑢𝑒ℎ𝑛𝑒𝑖, 𝐵. 𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑎, 𝐵. 𝑝𝑖, 𝐵. 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑎, 𝐵. 𝑝𝑢𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑥, and 𝐵. 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑥) from bubble-nesters (i.e., 𝐵. 𝑖𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑠, 𝐵. 𝑚𝑎ℎ𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠, 𝐵. 𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠, 𝐵. 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎, and 𝐵. 𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠) with a head length range of 29.27–36.42 vs. 24.14–28.31% of standard length, including the symmetrical caudal fin.

Some characteristics distinguish the fish into subgroups and some species, such as a greater number of a**l soft fin rays and lateral line scales of 𝐵. 𝑝𝑖 among the mouth-brooding species (28–29 vs. 22–26 fin rays and 33–35 vs. 26–32 scales) or of 𝐵. 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎 among the bubble-nesting species (26–28 vs. 22–25 fin rays and 31–33 vs. 27–30 scales).

Additionally, descriptive characteristics such as a**l and caudal fin shape and melanophore pigmentation on the head, body, and fins, including the coloration of live specimens, are useful for distinguish among species and generating a dichotomous identification key.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Top left - Appearances and colouration of live mature specimens of eight wild bubble-nesting fighting fishes, i.e., and five wild bubble-nesting fighting fishes, i.e., 𝐵. 𝑖𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑠 ( a ), 𝐵. 𝑚𝑎ℎ𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 ( b ), 𝐵. 𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠 ( c ), 𝐵. 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎 ( d ), and 𝐵. 𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠 ( e ).
Top right - Appearances and colouration of live mature specimens of eight wild mouth-brooding fighting fishes, i.e., 𝐵𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑎 𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑛 ( a ), 𝐵. 𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑥 ( b ), 𝐵. 𝑘𝑢𝑒ℎ𝑛𝑒𝑖 ( c ), 𝐵. 𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑎 ( d ), 𝐵. 𝑝𝑖 ( e ), 𝐵. 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑎 ( f ), 𝐵. 𝑝𝑢𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑥 ( g ), and 𝐵. 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑥 ( h ).
Bottom - 𝐵. 𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠 ( a ); 𝐵. 𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠 ( b ); 𝐵. 𝑖𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑠 ( c ).

© 2026 the Author(s). Published in the journal Diversity. An open-access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0) deed. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

21/04/2026

15/04/2026

Scientists have discovered a new species of miniature marsupial frog in the Peruvian Amazon that carries its young in a natural pouch on its back, a research institute reported Wednesday.

09/04/2026

The evolution of lures in anglerfishes: Investigating nature's tackle box. Researchers explore the bizarre tackle boxes of anglerfishes, publishing new details on the evolutionary history of their lures. More than 100 species were studied to see how the lures evolved in different ways (mechanical, chemical and bioluminescent) to attract prey and maybe even mates in the deep sea.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
The Evolution of Lures in Anglerfishes (Acanthuriformes: Lophioidei): Investigating Nature's Tackle Box

Open-access - https://bioone.org/journals/ichthyology-and-herpetology/volume-114/issue-1/i2025018/The-Evolution-of-Lures-in-Anglerfishes-Acanthuriformes--Lophioidei/10.1643/i2025018.full
Sci-comm post - https://news.ku.edu/news/article/research-traces-evolution-of-anglerfishes-famed-fishing-rod-lures

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Alex J. Maile, Matthew P. Davis "The Evolution of Lures in Anglerfishes (Acanthuriformes: Lophioidei): Investigating Nature's Tackle Box," Ichthyology & Herpetology, 114(1), 103-118, (27 March 2026)

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
Anglerfishes (Lophioidei) exhibit extraordinary morphological and behavioral adaptations for luring prey, yet the evolutionary history and diversification implications of their lure types remain poorly understood.

Here, we use a published total-evidence phylogeny of anglerfishes and their allies that integrates ultraconserved elements (UCEs), mitochondrial data, and morphological characters to investigate the origins and evolution of luring strategies across the clade.

Our results indicate that mechanical lures evolved early, originating in the common ancestor of the Lophioidei during the Late Cretaceous. Chemical luring evolved independently twice: once in batfishes (Ogcocephalidae) during the Eocene, and again in the frogfish 𝐴𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑠. Bioluminescent lures arose once within a derived deep-sea ceratioid lineage during the Oligocene. Bioluminescent luring is associated with major ecological transitions into pelagic deep-sea environments, elevated diversification rates, and key anatomical innovations, including the evolution of an escal pore and elaborate escae, which are potentially involved in both prey attraction and s*xual signaling. Morphological variation in the illicium, the esca, and associated structures is most pronounced in ceratioid taxa, reflecting a complex interplay of ecological and behavioral factors shaping lure morphology across habitats.

We also identify consistent patterns linking rotational range with documented luring behaviors, alongside a trend toward increased lure length that positions the esca in front of the mouth, bringing prey within striking distance during predation. Together, these findings offer new insights into the evolutionary origins and functional diversity of anglerfish lures and underscore the influence of morphology and environment on their remarkable predatory strategies.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Top - Variation of length among luring apparatus components among anglerfishes and their allies. Lure components include esca (E), illicium (I), and exposed pterygiophore (P). Scale bars represent 2 mm. Lophioideo: (A) Lophiodes caulinaris, LACM 8836-10. (B) Lophiodes miacanthus, LACM 46040-3. (C) Lophiomus setigerus, LACM 44743-7. (D) Lophius americanus, LACM 34328-1. Antennarioideo: (E) Antennarius avalonis, LACM 49991-1. (F) Histrio, LACM 8975-1. (G) Kuiterichthys sp., LACM 11537-1. (H) Lophiocharon trisignatus, LACM 54171-1. Ogcocephaloideo: (I) Dibranchus erinaceus, LACM 33699-2. (J) Halieutaea fitzsimonsi, LACM 44745-6. (K) Malthopsis mitrigera, LACM 56294-1. (L) Ogcocephalus darwini, LACM 43975-2. (M) Zalieutes elater, LACM 6552-2. Chaunacoideo: ( N ) Chaunax sp., LACM 44750-3. (O) Chaunax sp., LACM 35843-1. Ceratioideo: (P) Caulophryne polynema, LACM 33923-1. (Q) Centrophryne spinulosa, LACM 31105-24. (R) Ceratias tentaculatus, LACM 11025-7. (S) Cryptopsaras couesii, LACM 11231-1. (T) Bufoceratias wedli, LACM 34272-1. (U) Gigantactis vanhoeffeni, LACM 45001-1. (V) Himantolophus sagamius, LACM 43760-1. (W) Himantolophus albinares, LACM 57239-2. (X) Borophryne apogon, LACM 30053-10. ( Y ) Linophryne densiramus, LACM 38440-1. (Z) Melanocetus murrayi, LACM 36113-1.

Middle left - The Anglerfish species 𝐵𝑢𝑓𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑑𝑙𝑖 from the Field Museum of Natural History. Photo by Matthew Davis.

Middle right - Fossil-calibrated, genus-level phylogeny of anglerfishes, based on the total-evidence maximum-likelihood tree from Maile et al. (2025), with character-state reconstruction of luring types, luring-angle ranges, and lure morphometrics normalized to standard length (SL). Fossil calibration numbers correspond to entries in S1 Text (see Supplemental Text 1 for fossil justifications and placement; see Data Accessibility). Confidence intervals for node ages were estimated from 100 nonparametric bootstrap replicates; blue bars at nodes indicate 95% confidence intervals on divergence times. Lure types are shown by ancestral-state mapping; luring angles are grouped into six categories (shades of green) defined as (1) 0–37.5°, (2) 37.5–75°, (3) 75–112.5°, (4) 112.5–150°, (5) 150–187.5°, and (6) 187.5–230°. Lure-to-SL ratios are displayed as paired bars: the first bar indicates combined illicium and exposed pterygiophore length (IL), and the second bar represents esca length (EL); together these comprise total lure length (TLL). See Supplemental Figure 1 for the full fossil-calibrated phylogeny (see Data Accessibility).

Bottom - Lure component morphometric and rotational range parameters. (A) Lure morphometric delimitations include exposed pterygiophore + illicium length (IL), esca length (EL), and total exposed lure length (TLL). (B–G) Lure rotational range extension parameters include: (B) Antennarioideo and Lophioideo; (C) Chaunacoideo; (D) non-specified ceratioids; (E) Caulophrynidae (Ceratioideo); (F) Bufoceratias (Diceratiidae; Ceratioideo); (G) Gigantactinidae (Ceratioideo). Gray/white circles indicate vertex of lure angle. White arrows indicate the forward-stop positions (FS) and backward/resting-stop (RS) position in lure rotation (LR). Specimens from A–G are presented in lateral view, anterior to left, and include: (A) Linophryne densiramus, 60 mm SL, LACM 38440-1; (B) Histrio histrio, 138 mm SL, LACM 8975-1; (C) Chaunax sp., 158 mm SL, LACM 44750-3; (D) Himantolophus sagamius, 348 mm SL, LACM 60082-1; (E) Caulophryne polynema, 131 mm SL, LACM 33923-1; (F) Bufoceratias wedli, 64 mm SL, LACM 34272; (G) Gigantactis vanhoeffeni, 226 mm SL, LACM 45001-1.

Copyright © 2026 by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Published in the Ichthyology & Herpetology journal. This paper is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0) licence.