A new species of subterranean blind salamander (Plethodontidae : Hemidactyliini : Eurycea : Typhlomolge) from Austin, Texas, and a systematic revision of central Texas paedomorphic salamanders

We describe a new species of salamander (Eurycea) from the Barton Springs s egment of the Ed, ards Aquifer, Austin, Texas, USA. The new species is most closely related to Eurycea (Typhlomolge) rathbuni from subterranean waters around San Marcos, Texas, and like that species lacks external eyes and sh ows other morphological features associated with subterranean life. The iww species is easily distinguished on the basis of morphology from all previo usly described species of salamanders, and in particular is easily distingu ished from its closest relatives, E, (Typhlomolge) rathbuni and E, (Typhlom olge) robusta, as well as the sympatric E, so omni We used sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene to infer the phylogeny of described specie s of central Texas Eurycea, and these data support the major groups reporte d previously on the basis of other DNA and allozyme data. We also define na mes for the major clades of central Texas Eurycea.