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John Sparks' Publications and Reprints

Publications with an associated PDF file that is available for download or viewing have the publication year underlined and in blue.

Publications:
Sparks, J.S. in press. Phylogeny of the cichlid subfamily Etroplinae and taxonomic revision of the Malagasy cichlid genus Paretroplus (Teleostei: Cichlidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History.

Chakrabarty, P. and J.S. Sparks. 2007. Relationships of the New World cichlid genus Hypsophrys Agassiz 1859 (Teleostei: Cichlidae), with diagnoses for the genus and its species. Zootaxa 1523: 59-64.

Chakrabarty, P., and J.S. Sparks. 2007. Phylogeny and taxonomic revision of Nuchequula Whitley 1932 (Teleostei: Leiognathidae), with the description of a new species. American Museum Novitates 3588: 1-25.

Smith, W.L., and J.S. Sparks. 2007. Gobius lagocephalus: Pallas 1770 (currently Sicyopterus lagocephalus: Teleostei, Gobiidae): Proposed suppression of the specific name. Bulletin of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature 64: 1-5.

Sparks, J.S., and P. Chakrabarty. 2007. A new species of ponyfish (Teleostei: Leiognathidae: Photoplagios) from the Philippines. Copeia 2007: 622-629.

Sparks, J.S., and M.L.J. Stiassny. in press. Les poissons d’eaux douce. Pp. 1-28 in: S. M. Goodman and J. P. Benstead (eds.), Histoire Naturelle de Madagascar. Publications Scientifiques Museum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Paris.

Smith, W.L., and J.S. Sparks. 2007. Gobius lagocephalus: The World's most widespread nomen dubium. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 43: 696-698.

Sparks, J.S. 2007. (review of) Coastal Fishes. Copeia 2007: 238.

Sparks, J.S. 2006. A new species of ponyfish (Teleostei: Leiognathidae: Photoplagios) from Madagascar, with a phylogeny for Photoplagios and comments on the status of Equula lineolata Valenciennes. American Museum Novitates 3526: 1-20.

Sparks, J.S. 2006. Leiognathus longispinis (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1835), a senior synonym of Leiognathus smithursti (Ramsay and Ogilby, 1886) (Teleostei: Leiognathidae). Copeia 2006: 539-543.

Stiassny, M.L.J., and J.S. Sparks. 2006. Phylogeny and taxonomic revision of the endemic Malagasy cichlid genus Ptychochromis (Teleostei: Cichlidae), with the description of five new species and a diagnosis for Katria, new genus. American Museum Novitates. 3535: 1-55.

Sparks, J.S., and Smith, W.L. 2006. Sicyopterus lagocephalus: Widespread species, species complex, or neither? A critique on the use of molecular data for species identification. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 40: 900-902.

Sparks, J. S., P. V. Dunlap, and W. L. Smith. 2005. Evolution and diversification of a sexually dimorphic luminescent system in ponyfishes (Teleostei: Leiognathidae), including diagnoses for two new genera. Cladistics, 21: 305-327.

Ng, H. H., and J. S. Sparks. 2005. Revision of the endemic Malagasy catfish family Anchariidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes), with descriptions of a new genus and three new species. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, 16: 303-323.

Sparks, J. S., and L. M. R. Rush. 2005. A new rainbowfish (Teleostei: Melanotaenioidei: Bedotiidae) from the southeastern highlands of Madagascar, with comments on the biogeography of Bedotia. Zootaxa, 1051: 39-54.

Sparks, J. S., and K. J. Riseng. 2005. Water quality and chemistry, benthic macroinvertebrates, and zooplankton communities of the Consuelo and Warany Regions of the Pastaza River, Ecuador: limnological survey. In: P. W. Willink, B. Chernoff, and J. McCullough (eds.), A rapid biological assessment of the aquatic ecosystems of the Pastaza River Basin, Ecuador and Peru. Conservation International and the Aquatic Rapid Assessment Program (AquaRap), Washington, D. C. Bulletin of Biological Assessment 33: 56-62, appendixes 5-6: 140-143.

Sparks, J. S., and W. L. Smith. 2005. Freshwater fishes, dispersal ability, and non-evidence: "Gondwana Life Rafts" to the rescue. Systematic Biology, 53: 11-19.

Sparks, J. S., and M. L. J. Stiassny. 2005. Madagascar's freshwater fishes, an imperiled treasure. Pp. 62-70 in: M. L. Thieme, R. Abell, M. L. J. Stiassny, B. Lehner, P. Skelton, G. Teugals, E. Dinerstein, A. Kamdem Toham, N. Burgess, and D. Olson (eds.), Freshwater ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar. A conservation assessment. Island Press, Washington, D. C.

Sparks, J. S. 2005. Madagascar Ecoregion: Eastern lowlands. Pp. 218-219, Eastern highlands. Pp. 252-254, Northwestern basins. Pp. 307-308, Western basins, Pp. 309, Southern basins Pp. 343-344. in: M. L. Thieme, R. Abell, M. L. J. Stiassny, B. Lehner, P. Skelton, G. Teugals, E. Dinerstein, A. Kamdem Toham, N. Burgess, and D. Olson (eds.), Freshwater ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar. A conservation assessment. Island Press, Washington, D. C.

Sparks, J. S., and W. L. Smith. 2004. Phylogeny and biogeography of cichlid fishes (Teleostei: Perciformes: Cichlidae). Cladistics, 20: 501-517.

Sparks, J. S., and W. L. Smith. 2004. Phylogeny and biogeography of the Malagasy and Australasian rainbowfishes (Teleostei: Melanotaenioidei): Gondwanan vicariance and evolution in freshwater. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 33: 719-734.

Sparks, J. S., and P. V. Dunlap. 2004. A clade of non-sexually dimorphic ponyfishes (Teleostei: Perciformes: Leiognathidae): phylogeny, taxonomy, and description of a new species. American Museum Novitates, 3459: 1-21.

Sparks, J. S. 2004. A new and presumably extinct species of Ptychochromoides (Teleostei: Perciformes: Cichlidae) from central Madagascar. Zootaxa, 524: 1-15.

Sparks, J. S., and D. W. Nelson. 2004. Review of the Malagasy sicydiine gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae), with description of a new species and comments on the taxonomic status of Gobius lagocephalus Pallas, 1770. American Museum Novitates, 3440: 1-20.

Sparks, J. S. 2004. Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the Malagasy and South Asian cichlid fishes (Teleostei: Perciformes: Cichlidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 30: 599-614.

Sparks, J. S. 2003. Taxonomic status of the Malagasy cichlid Ptychochromis grandidieri Sauvage 1882 (Teleostei: Cichlidae), including a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the ptychochromine cichlids. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 14: 317-328.

Sparks, J. S., and M. L. J. Stiassny. 2003. Introduction to the freshwater fishes of Madagascar. Pp. 849-863 in: S. M. Goodman and J. P. Benstead (eds.), The natural history of Madagascar. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Sparks, J. S. 2003. Pantanodon. Pp. 871-872 in: S. M. Goodman and J. P. Benstead (eds.), The natural history of Madagascar. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Sparks, J. S. 2003. Ptychochromis. Pp. 873-874 in: S. M. Goodman and J. P. Benstead (eds.), The natural history of Madagascar. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Sparks, J. S. 2003. Ptychochromoides. Pp. 875 in: S. M. Goodman and J. P. Benstead (eds.), The natural history of Madagascar. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Sparks, J. S. 2003. Teramulus. Pp. 866-867 in: S. M. Goodman and J. P. Benstead (eds.), The natural history of Madagascar. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Sparks, J. S. 2003. Typhleotris. Pp. 878-879 in: S. M. Goodman and J. P. Benstead (eds.), The natural history of Madagascar. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Ng, H. H., and J. S. Sparks. 2003. The ariid catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Ariidae) of Madagascar, with the description of two new species. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan 735: 1-21.

Ng, H. H., and J. S. Sparks. 2003. Ancharius. Pp. 865-866 in: S. M. Goodman and J. P. Benstead (eds.), The natural history of Madagascar. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Ng, H. H., and J. S. Sparks. 2003. Arius. Pp. 864-865 in: S. M. Goodman and J. P. Benstead (eds.), The natural history of Madagascar. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Benstead, J. P., P. H. de Rham, J-L Gattolliat, F-M Gibon, P. V. Loiselle, M. Sartori, J. S. Sparks, and M. L. J. Stiassny. 2003. Conserving Madagascar's freshwater biodiversity. Bioscience 53: 1101-1111.

K. J. Riseng, and J. S. Sparks. 2003. A limnological analysis of the Caura River Basin, Bol?var State, Venezuela. In: B. Chernoff, A. Machado-Allison, K. Riseng, and J. Montambault (eds.), A biological assessment of the aquatic ecosystems of the Caura Basin, Bol?var State, Venezuela. Conservation International and the Aquatic Rapid Assessment Program (AquaRap), Washington, D. C. Bulletin of Biological Assessment 28: 44-48, appendixes 3-5: 228-234 (translated in Spanish, 139-143).

P. N. Reinthal, K. J. Riseng, and J. S. Sparks. 2003. Water management issues in Madagascar: biodiversity, conservation, and deforestation. Pp. 124-144 in: T. J. Crisman, L. J. Chapman, C. A. Chapman, and L. S. Kaufman (eds.), Conservation, Ecology, and Management of African Fresh Waters. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.

Sparks, J. S. 2002. Paretroplus dambabe, a new cichlid fish (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from northwestern Madagascar, with a discussion on the status of P. petiti. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 115: 546-563.

Ng, H. H., and J. S. Sparks. 2002. Plotosus fisadoha, a new species of marine catfish (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Plotosidae) from Madagascar. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 115: 564-569.

Sparks, J. S. 2002. Ptychochromis inornatus, a new cichlid (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from northwestern Madagascar, with a discussion of intrageneric variation in Ptychochromis. Copeia 2002 (1): 120-130.

Sparks, J. S. 2001. Bedotia masoala, a new species of atherinoid rainbowfish (Teleostei: Atherinoidei) from the Masoala Peninsula, northeastern Madagascar. Copeia 2001(2): 481-488.

Sparks, J. S., and P. N. Reinthal. 2001. A new species of Ptychochromoides from southeastern Madagascar (Teleostei: Cichlidae), with comments on monophyly and relationships of the ptychochromine cichlids. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 12: 115-132.

Sparks, J. S., and P. N. Reinthal. 1999. Paretroplus maromandia, a new cichlid fish from the northwest of Madagascar. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan 727: 1-18.

Sparks, J. S., K. J. Riseng, and P. N. Reinthal. 1998. A floral and faunal survey of the ephemeral pools, streams, and wetlands in the Ambatovy region, Eastern, Madagascar. A.N.G.A.P. and Ministere des Eaux et Forets, Madagascar. Golder Assoc., Lakewood, CO, USA. 35 pp.

Reinthal, P. N., J. S. Sparks, and K. J. Riseng. 1995. Ecology, vulnerability, and temporal changes in freshwater fish communities. Patterson, B. D., S. M. Goodman, and J. L. Sedlock, eds. Environmental Change in Madagascar. Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, pp. 20/85.

Editor:
Sparks, J.S. 2006. Editor and Consultant, Scientific content. Oceans: The world’s last wilderness revealed, Dorling-Kindersley, London, 1-512.

Technical Reports and Internet Publications:
Sparks, J. S., and K. J. Riseng. 2000. Preliminary report on water quality of the upper and lower Rio Caura basin, Venezuela. Conservation International, Aquatic Rapid Assessment Program (AquaRap), Washington, D. C.

Graf, D. L., and J. S. Sparks. 2000. Sometimes too much is not enough: a comment on the use of mtDNA to recover ancient relationships. N. Verificationist 1: 1-13. A pdf is available for download at http://sequence_monkey.tripod.com/na?ve_veri/v1n1.pdf.

Sparks, J. S. 1999. Preliminary report on water quality, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and macroinvertebrates of the Rio Pastaza basin, Ecuador. Conservation International, Aquatic Rapid Assessment Program (AquaRap), Washington, D. C.

Nelson, D. W., and J. S. Sparks. 1999. Paraformaldehyde/alconox problems. Curation Newsletter 12: 1-2.

Sparks, J. S., and C. M. Riseng. 1999. An ichthyofaunal survey of Woodruff Creek, southeastern Michigan: determination of presence of and suitable habitat for the endangered Eastern Sand Darter (Ammocrypta pellucida). Prepared for McNamee/Tetra Tech, Ann Arbor, MI.

Riseng, K. J., and J. S. Sparks. 1995. A survey of the fresh and brackish water fishes of the Masoala Peninsula, northeastern Madagascar. Project Masoala, Maroansetra, Madagascar, and the Wildlife Conservation Society and C.A.R.E., Washington, D. C.

Popular Articles:
Sparks, J. S. 2003. Madagascar. Natural History (Spring 2003 Travel Issue), p. 62.