CHECKLIST, TAXONOMICAL NOTES AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF FRESH-WATER FISHES FROM ISLA-DE-LA-JUVENTUD (CUBA)

The following species were determined in a collection of 747 specimens of freshwater fishes from 10 localities of Isla de la Juventud: Angui lla rostrata, Cyprinodon variegatus, Rivulus cylindraceus, Gambusia pu nctata G. puncticulata, Girardinus microdactylus, Limia vittata, Quint ana atrizona, Glaridichthys falcatus, Agonostomus monticola, Alepidomu s evermanni, Ophisternon aenigmaticum, Micropterus salmoides, Lepomis macrochirus, Cichlasoma tetracanthum, Oreochromis niloticus. In this m aterial, classified according to localities, the highest frequencies w ere exhibited by G. punctata and G. microdactylus (70 %). The ratio be tween secondary freshwater fishes versus peripheral and vicarious fish es was 9:7. A complete checklist, based on our data and that published previously, includes 22 species from this island. The comparison betw een the material of Isla de la Juventud and that of the western part o f Isla de Cuba (the Jaccard index = 52.94) indicates that both areas f orm only one centre of endemism. The hypothesis by Rauchenberger (1988 ), that western Cuba, Isla de la Juventud, Cayman Islands, Jamaica and southwestern Hispaniola form a monophyletic group, was verified. The species composition of G. puncticulata forms is discussed and G. hispa niolae is added to this group.