Astroblepus Catfish Integrative Taxonomy Data from Esmeraldas River Basin

395 specimens of Andean catfishes from the Esmeraldas River basin in Ecuador were analyzed using DNA barcoding, geometric morphometrics, and traditional morphology. The dataset, created by Kevin P. Chugá-Puetate and last updated in April 2026, supports an integrative taxonomy study that identified seven evolutionary lineages, including cryptic species and new candidate lineages. The findings suggest underestimated diversity in the basin.

Use Cases

• Species delimitation analysis based on COI gene sequences and morphological clusters.
• Studying cryptic diversity and morphological plasticity within the genus Astroblepus.
• Assessing the role of altitudinal distribution and sub-basin isolation in driving divergence.
• Validating taxonomic hypotheses, such as the possible synonymy between A. mindoensis and A. theresiae.

Strengths

• Integrates data from 395 specimens, with 386 used for morphometrics and 33 for genetics.
• Applies a multi-method approach combining DNA barcoding, geometric morphometrics, and traditional morphology.
• Results are specific to the Esmeraldas River basin, revealing seven evolutionary lineages where five were previously recognized.

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset is very small at 9.5 KB, indicating limited scope and likely a summary or supplementary table.
• Freshness should be verified as the last update date is in the future (2026-04-22).

Provenance

Source

Kevin P. Chugá-Puetate via figshare

Collection Method

Specimens were analyzed using integrative taxonomy, combining new and publicly available genetic sequences, geometric morphometrics, and traditional morphological characters.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-22 17:45:07

Geography

Esmeraldas River basin, Ecuador