Phylogenomic species delimitation of studfishes (Fundulidae: Fundulus): evidence for cryptic species in agreement with the Central Highlands vicariance hypothesis Author Fast, Kayla M. Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS. Author Hundt, Peter J. Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, 2088 Larpenteur Ave., St Paul, MN. Author Alley, Zachariah D. Protected Species Practice, EDGE Engineering and Science, LLC, Houston, TX. Author Sandel, Michael W. Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS. & Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS. text Zootaxa 2025 2025-03-14 5604 3 309 328 https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5604.3.5 journal article 308711 10.11646/zootaxa.5604.3.5 63ed517f-5ba8-4742-90af-cbc5bda97732 1175-5326 15035916 FB9A879B-49E0-40C8-A93E-830856946991

TABLE 1. Meristic counts for the Fundulus catenatus species complex. Counts were obtained from Thomerson et al. (1969). N: number of individuals assessed for each characteristic, SD: standard deviation. Superscripts on means indicate significant statistical differences between means for a given trait (p <0.05). Results of ANOVA for different traits are in Table S2.

	Dorsal				Anal				Left pectoral				Caudal				Lateral scale				Lateral
	rays	N	Mode	SD	rays	N	Mode	SD	rays	N	Mode	SD	rays	N	Mode	SD	rows	N	Mode	SD	scales	N	Mode	SD
F. catenatus	13–16	193	14 ᵃ	0.69	14–17	200	16ᵃᶜ	0.69	14–19	185	16ᵃᶜ	0.76	15–18	64	17	0.59	12–16	182	14ᵃᶜ	0.84	39–52	182	46ᵃᵇ	2.54
F. caddo sp. nov.	12–16	100	14ᵇ	0.61	13–17	100	15ᵇᶜ	0.74	16–18	100	17ᵇᶜ	0.55	15–18	41	17	0.75	12–15	100	13ᵇᶜ	0.78	40–50	100	45ᵇ	2.05
F. cryptocatenatus sp. nov.	13–17	592	15ᵃᵇ	0.74	13–18	510	16ᵃᵇ	0.78	14–19	506	17ᵃᵇ	0.79	15–18	239	16	0.65	11–16	506	14ᵃᵇ	0.79	38–52	505	42ᵃ	2.73