Scott
Schaefer's Astroblepidae Research
The goal of this
research project is to produce a revised
classification and analysis of geographic and
taxonomic diversity of the Andean catfishes of the
family Astroblepidae. Astroblepids are one of very
few native groups of Andean fishes. The 54 species
recognized to date are distributed in moderate to
high elevation streams of the tropical Andes from
Panama to Bolivia and occur in both the western
Pacific and eastern Amazonian slope drainage systems.
Because they occur in headwater streams, astroblepids
are important indicators of the status of the diverse
and economically important lowland rivers, yet our
knowledge of their diversity, ecology, and
distribution is rudimentary. This project will
analyze all existing museum specimens and document
astroblepid and Andean fish diversity at three high
priority regions of South America. The research will
produce a comprehensive synthesis of astroblepid
taxonomy and biodiversity, new species descriptions,
identification tools, and database of Andean fishes.
The tropical Andes are the richest of the world's
hotspots for biological diversity and home to
thousands of plants and animals that are found
nowhere else. The Andean fish fauna is poorly known
and locally endangered by habitat alteration. This
project will contribute important new information on
the diversity and distribution of Andean fishes in
broader efforts to understand the processes
responsible for producing the highly diverse Andean
biota and the assessment of priority areas for
conservation in the Neotropics.
