11 5 1760 the journal of biodiversity data 4 October 2015 Check List LISTS OF SPECIES Check List 11(5): 1760, 4 October 2015 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15560/11.5.1760 ISSN 1809-127X © 2015 Check List and Authors A contribution to the checklist of fishes of San Luis province, Argentina Yamila P. Cardoso1*, Sergio Bogan2, Juan M. Meluso2, Adrián Jáuregui3, María B. Cabrera1 and Marta Lizarralde4 1 Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (IIB-INTECH), Av. Intendente Marino Km 8,200 CC 164 (7130) Chascomús, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2 Fundación de Historia Natural “Félix de Azara”. Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Antropología. Universidad Maimónides. Hidalgo 775 piso 7 (1405BDB). Buenos Aires, Argentina 3 Sección Ornitología, División Zoología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Paseo del Bosque s/nº B1900FWA-La Plata 4 Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, CADIC - CONICET, Av. Houssay 200. 9410 Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego Argentina * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: San Luis province presents arheic and aqueducts and canals that generate large water mirrors endorheic basins that are poorly understood in terms reservoirs. Some of these water mirrors promoted the of their ichthyological composition. The samples taken introduction of sport value fish species (Menu-Marque recently from the main basins of this province have et al. 1983). In most cases, the greater part of the runway yielded data of undisputed biogeographic value for the of these large dams are almost dry, fragmenting fluvial knowledge of the ichthyofauna of San Luis, as well as environments, affecting the aquatic biota and restricting for drawing up lists of species for watersheds with the distribution of the species to the headwaters of poor or absent previous records. Here, we cite Jenynsia watersheds (Garelis and Bistoni 2010). multidentata from the Desaguadero and Bebedero rivers, The first contributions to the knowledge of the San Cnesterodon decemmaculatus for Chorrillos River, and Luis fish fauna were by MacDonagh (1948), Ringuelet Oligosarcus jenynsii for Luján, Quines and Quinto rivers. et al. (1967), and Ringuelet (1975). They considered the We add five taxa to the Nogolí River that have not been distributional and systematic data of many species that previously reported. We also present for the first time a inhabit this province. Menni et al. (1984) provided a list list of the fish fauna from the Conlara, Luján and Quines of fish species in northwestern San Luis province, while basins. Our results provide 34 new records of freshwater Ferriz (1996) added a series of records from the basin of fish distribution. the Quinto and Nogolí rivers. Garelis and Bistoni (2010) provided a detailed study of the Quinto River, providing Key words: San Luis, ichthyology, biogeography, new records for this basin as well. Recently, Nadalin et diversity, Luján River, Quines River, Argentina al. (2015) published a list of species of San Luis province based on bibliographic data. INTRODUCTION Previous works (Ringuelet 1975; Arratia et al. 1983; The Sierras de San Luis are the most important rock López et al. 2002) included San Luis in the Brasil Sub- mass in the homonymous province in the center of region of the Paranense Domain. According to López et Argentina. These sierras are the origins of most of the al. (2008), San Luis province is divided in two different provincial waterways (Ceci and Cruz Coronado 1981). biogeographic provinces: Pampeane and Andine-Cuyane. San Luis province has arheic or endorheic watercourses. The aim of this contribution is to present the results of An exception is the Desaguadero-Salado river system, the sample work conducted recently in several localities whose headwater is in the Cordillera de los Andes and of San Luis province. Even though collections were made sporadically drains into the Colorado River. during a short period of time, they have provided data of San Luis has a low hydrological regime that carries undoubted biogeographical importance for the knowledge out intensive water management actions, so that of the ichthyofauna, as well as drawing up lists of species current basins are highly modified with reservoirs, for watersheds with little or no previous records. Check List | www.biotaxa.org/cl 1 Volume 11 | Number 5 | Article 1760 Cardoso et al. | Checklist of San Luis province fishes Figure 1. Map showing the sampling localities in San Luis and Córdoba provinces, 1: Luján River downstream of Luján Dam; 2: La Huertita Dam; 3: Conlara River in Santa Rosa de Conlara; 4: Guanco Pampa stream near Villa Praga; 5: Conlara River in Concarán; 6: San Felipe Dam; 7: Nogolí River; 8: Chorrillos River in San Luis City; 9: Stream that flows into the dam Paso de las Carretas in route 20; 10: Quinto River and route 20; 11: Paso de las Carretas Dam; 12: Desaguadero River and route 7; 13: Quinto River and route 27 near Fraga; 14: Bebedero River and route 11 near Beazley; 15: Quinto River in Villa Mercedes; 16: Quinto River and route 11; 17: Quinto River in Justo Daract; 18: Quinto River and route 14; 19: Desaguadero River and route 146, 20: Quinto River near Villa Sarmiento, Córdoba. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sampling was conducted in 19 different localities of San Luis province, Argentina (Figure 1), during November of 2014. To obtain the specimens, we used trammel nets, traps, trawl nets, and flakes. The permits to collect were granted by Programa Biodiversidad, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente de la Provincia de San Luis (Argentina). Samples were fixed in formalin and preserved in alcohol 70% in the Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara (CFA-IC) fish collection. RESULTS Seventeen fish species from fifteen genera and eight families were recorded in San Luis province. Photos of fish species are shown in Figures 2–6. Desaguadero–Salado Basin The headwaters of this basin are in the Cordillera de los Andes, in northwestern La Rioja province. The course then enters San Juan province, where it is known as the Bermejo River. After overcoming the Guanacache lagoons, it changes its name to Desaguadero River. Figure 2 . A: Jenynsia multidentata from Desaguadero River (CFA-IC-3840). There, it forms the boundary between Mendoza and B: Gambusia affinis from Quinto River (CFA-IC-3886). C: Cnesterodon San Luis provinces, where it receives the Tunuyán and decemmaculatus from Quinto River (CFA-IC-3887). The scale is 1 cm. Check List | www.biotaxa.org/cl 2 Volume 11 | Number 5 | Article 1760 Cardoso et al. | Checklist of San Luis province fishes Figure 3. A: Trichomycterus corduvensis from Quinto River (CFA-IC-3889). B: Trichomycterus tenuis from San Luis River (CFA-IC-3972). C: Rhamdia quelen from Conlara River (CFA-IC-3899). D: Pimelodella laticeps from Quinto River (CFA-IC-3882). E: Corydoras paleatus Quinto River (CFA-IC-387). The scale is 1 cm. Diamante rivers from the west. From 36° S, the main Desaguadero River and route 146 (34°05ʹ13.04ʺ S, course enters La Pampa province and is renamed as 066°42ʹ35.98ʺ W; Figure 1, locality 19) and Desaguadero Salado River. In La Pampa, the Salado basin receives the River and route 7 (33°24ʹ38.60ʺ S, 067°07ʹ47.80ʺ W; Figure Atuel River with which it forms the Atuel Wetland. From 1, locality 12). We only reported Jenynsia multidentata this area, the main channel is called Chadileuvu River, (CFA-IC-3840 and 3880). The low flow of the river at whose waters, during periods of flood, can flow into the these sites and the consequent high salinity promote Curaco River and then into the Atlantic via the Colorado the proliferation of this species, possibly at the expense River. However, the flow of this drainage in La Pampa of others. province is minimal due to anthropogenic changes and to intensive use of its waters (Lastiri 2012). San Luis–Bebedero Basin Previous records. Burmeister (1861) made reference Bebedero River. This river flows in a south to north to the presence of Percichthys trucha and a species direction and drains to the Salinas del Bebedero. of Silverside, Basilichthys cuyanus, both from the Because the headwaters of this river are very close to Guanacache lagoons and commercialized for human the Desaguadero River, Gerth (1914) postulated that, consumption in Mendoza City. Mac Donagh (1950) cited formerly, the Bebedero River flowed from the Bebedero Percichthys trucha and Goldfish, Carassius auratus, from Lake (where the Salinas are currently located), towards this lagoon (Mac Donagh 1950; Villanueva and Roig the Desaguadero River. According to his hypothesis, a 1995). Subsequently, Ringuelet et al. 1967 reaffirmed later desertification would have dried the lake (forming the presence of one species of Southern Silverside in the Salinas) and inverted the flow of the river (Gerth Guanacache lagoons, but he considered B. cuyanus as 1914; Deletang 1929). According to recent geological a junior synonym of Basilichthys microlepidotus. Dyer studies, the Salinas del Bebedero formed a large (1998) synonymized the multiple classifications of freshwater lake during the Quaternary glacial periods the Patagonian Silverside, including B. cuyanus and and desiccated during the interglacial periods (González B. microlepidotus as junior synonyms of Odontesthes 1981; Gonzalez and Maidana 1998). hatcheri, and considered their presence in the Previous records. There are no ichthyological Desaguadero basin in San Juan and Mendoza provinces references for Bebedero River, but there is one striking as the northernmost records for this species (Dyer 2000). comment made by Martín de Moussy for the Bebedero Arratia et al. 1983 cited the presence of Hatcheria macraei Lake: “The Bebedero provides salt throughout the for this basin in Mendoza and La Rioja provinces. Also, province and nourishes very good fish” (translated from they cited Diplomystes cuyanus for the basin of the San de Moussy 1864: 475).