REEVALUATION OF THE LYTHRURUS-ARDENS (CYPRINIFORMES, CYPRINIDAE) COMPLEX WITH RECOGNITION OF 3 EVOLUTIONARY SPECIES

Samples were taken from throughout the range of the three nominal taxa that comprise the Lythrurus ardens species-complex: L. fasciolaris (O hio basin and Black Warrior River system, Alabama), L. ardens (York, R oanoke, James, and upper New River drainages), and L. matutinus (Tar a nd Neuse River drainages, North Carolina). Based on breeding tubercle patterns, color of nuptial males, anal-fin ray number, and general bod y shape, the three taxa were diagnosed and recognized as species. Lyth rurus fasciolaris has a mode of 10 anal rays, and nuptial males have a keeled nape, deep body, several blue-gray bars on the dorsum, and int ense red or orange on the fins but not on top of the head. Lythrurus m atutinus has a mode of 11 anal rays and is slender bodied; nuptial mal es have blood-red on top of the head, no red in the paired fins, and n o blue-gray bars on the dorsum; nuptial females are masculinized, with extensive tubercle development on the head. Lythrurus ardens has a mo de of 11 anal rays and is moderately slender bodied; nuptial males hav e faint red in the fins and on top of the head, faint blue-gray bars o n the dorsum, and blue on the side; females are not masculinized. Four teen of 29 presumptive gene loci examined were polyallelic. Allelic an d genotypic variation of three loci (Est-2, Pgm-A, Est-3) support gene tic isolation of the western species, L. fasciolaris, from the two eas tern species, L. ardens and L. matutinus. The magnitude of allozymic d ifferentiation between eastern and western species is similar to diffe rences reported for other species of the genus Lythrurus. The three ta xa represent three evolutionary species. Evidence for lineage independ ence among the three species includes an array of intrinsic characters with independent corroboration from extrinsic biogeographic evidence. Recognition of L. fasciolaris and L. matutinus as species brings the total number of species of Lythrurus to 10.