Proposed genus of fishes
Nosferatu is a proposed genus of cichlid fishes endemic to the Río Pánuco Basin and the tributaries of the adjacent Tamiahua Lagoon (to the South) and San Andrés Lagoon (to the North) in the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas and Querétaro, Mexico. The genus is characterized by a prolongation in the size of the symphysial pair of teeth relative to that of the other teeth in the outer row of the upper jaw (nosferatuform teeth); breeding pigmentation that consists of darkening of ventral area extending over nostrils, opercular series, and pectoral fins; depressed dorsal fin rarely expands beyond anterior third of caudal fin; and an elongated, elastic, smooth caecum adhered to a saccular stomach.
All species in "Nosferatu" had previously belonged to genus "Herichthys".
Species.
There were 7 species proposed for this genus:
These species are currently placed in genus "Herichthys".
Phylogenetics.
Separate analysis of the mitochondrial gene "Cox1" by León-Romero "et al." and by De la Maza-Benignos, "et al." confirmed the monophyly of the genus group, and revealed the existence of three clades within: The paraphyletic "bartoni" clade, conformed by sympatric "N. labridens" and "N. bartoni"; the paraphyletic (in their study León-Romero "et al." did not consider "N. pame" nor included "N. pratinus" and consequently report monophyly) "steindachneri" clade, conformed of the allopatric "N. pratinus", and sympatric "N. pame" and "N. steindachneri"; and the monophyletic "pantostictus" clade (in the study by León-Romero "et al." some of the lineages of "N. pantostictus" are misidentified as "N. labridens"; consequently they report polyphyly) composed of the nominal species "N. pantostictus". In comparison to "Herichthys", high levels of intrageneric divergence and structure within "Nosferatu" were revealed.
Evolution.
Divergence time for the split between "Herichthys" and "Nosferatu" has been estimated in ~5 Mya. During these times (i.e. Miocene-Pliocene), intense regional vulcanism led to the formation of the graben structure that conforms the sedimentary Rio Verde Basin; and the drain-less depression was filled by a number of endorheic shallow lakes, where "Nosferatu" evolved into the "bartoni" (~3 Mya), "steindacheri" (~2 Mya) and "pantostictus" (~2 Mya) clades. Later on (~1.8 Mya), as regional faulting rejoined the Rio Verde with the Pánuco Basin during the course of the Pleistocene, the genus re-invaded the Pánuco, this time with the evolved mechanisms of reproductive isolation that allows its sympatry with "Herichthys".
Name.
The name of this genus, "Nosferatu", was given because of the pair of well-developed recurved fangs in the upper jaw present possessed by all species of the genus; these were said to be reminiscent of those of Count Orlok in F. W. Murnau's "Nosferatu".
References.
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