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Zoogeography of the Aquatic Fauna of the St. Johns River System with Comments on Adjacent Peninsular Faunas

1978; University of Notre Dame; Volume: 100; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/2424786

1938-4238

George H. Burgess, Richard Franz,

Species Distribution and Climate Change

The Florida peninsula has been subjected to ~e r iod ic marine inundations and regressions since the Oligocene. Freshwater organisms presently found in the St. Johns River system were derived from stocks that remained on offshore islands during the Wicomico ( +100 f t ) high stand, or from immigrants that subsequently entered the Oklawaha River from a Santa Fe River region refugium as sea levels dropped. Elements of the latter fauna have relict distribution in some of the streams in the intervening area between these rivers; ensuing geological activity led to the isolation (and endemism) of additional forms in the Black Creek drainage. A number of marinederived organisms, presumably of peninsular origin, apparently survived on or invaded offshore islands during high sea levels. INTRODUCTION During recent surveys of the freshwaters of northeastern Florida we have become impressed with the large numbers of lotic species in the St. Johns River system that have their closest affinities with organisms distributed outside the Florida peninsula or with Santa Fe-Suwanee river organisms (Table 1 ) . Sorne of these taxa are difTABLF 1.-Distributional patterns and relationships of selected elements of the St. Johns River system lotic fauna. Relationships are enclosed in brackets Endemic to Black Creek (Decapoda: Cambaridae) Procambarus pictus: Headwaters, tributaries. [Procambarus lucifugus in caves in Suwannee and Withlacoochee river basins; P. youngi is closest Florida surface relative (in Apalachicola River drainage). (Hobbs, 1958)l (Insecta: Chironomidae) Conchapelpia gigas: Tributaries (Peters Creek). [Affinities with northern forms; two other species also occur in Florida. (W. Beck, pers. comm.)] Nilotanypus americanus: Tributaries (Peters Creek). [One other species occurs from Coosa River drainage in Georgia northward. (W. Beck, pers. comm.)] Paramerina anomala: Tributaries (Peters Creek). [Four other species in Texas, Virginia, and northwestern United States. (W. Beck, pers. comm.)] 11. Endemic to St. Johns-Oklawaha rivers (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) Spilochlamys gravis: Middle St. Johns and Oklawaha rivers. [Spilochlamys turgida in S-central Georgia. (Thompson, 1969)l Aphaostracon rhadinus: Tributaries of lower St. Johns River. [Aphaostracon hypohylina in Santa Fe-Suwanee and Waccasassa rivers. (Thompson, 1968)l A. monas: Wekiva River, Orange Co. [Aphaostracon hypohylina in Santa Fe-Suwannee and Waccasassa rivers. (Thompson, 1968)l A. asthenes: Blue Sprinq, Volusia Co. [Unique to the St. Johns River system with close relationships outside the basin. (Thompson, 1968)l A. pycnus: Alexander Springs, Lake Co. [Unique to the St. Johns River system with close relationships outside the basin. (Thompson, 1968)l A. theiocrenetus: Clifton Springs, Seminole Co. [Unique to the St. Johns River system with close relationships outside the basin. (Thompson, 1968)] A. chalarogyrus: Magnesia Springs, Alachua Co. [ A . rhadinus species group. (Thompson, 1968)l TABLE 1.-(continued) Cincinnatia fraterna: Tributaries of lower St. Johns River. [Unique to the St. Johns River system with close relationships outside the basin. (Thompson, 1968)l C. parua: Blue Springs, Volusia Co. [Unique to the St. Johns River system with close relationships outside the basin. (Thompson, 1968)l C. petrifons: Rock Springs, Orange Co. [Unique to the St. Johns River system with close relationships outside the basin. (Thompson, 1968)l C . ponderosa: Sanlando Springs, Seminole Co. [Unique to the St. Johns River system with close relationships outside the basin. (Thompson, 1968)l C. vanhyningi: Seminole Springs, Lake Co. [Unique to the St. Johns River system with close relationships outside the basin. (Thompson, 1968)l C. wekiwae: Wekiva Springs, Seminole Co. [Unique to the St. Johns River system with close relationships outside the basin. (Thompsor,, 1968)l Amnicola rhombostoma: Tributaries to lower St. Johns River in Clay and Putnam counties. [Unique to St. Johns River system. (Thompson, 1968)l (Decapoda :Cambaridae ) Procambarus geodytes: Sulfur springs along Oklawaha and middle St. Johns River. [Procambarus aduena in flatwoods of Okeefenokee basin. (Hobbs, 1942)l (Osteichthyes :Centrarchidae) Micropterus salmoides floridanus: Oklawaha-St. Johns rivers and smaller peninsular rivers. [Micropterus salmoides salmoides in drainages north of Savannah River and west of Choctawhatchee Bay; intergrades occur in Suwannee drainage and other intervening areas. (Bailey and Hubbs, 1949)l (Osteichthyes: Cyprinidae) ~Votropis emiliae peninsularis: Oklawaha-St. Johns rivers and smaller peninsular rivers. [Notropis emiliae emiliae in drainages N of Nassau and W of Ochlocknee river systems; intergrades occur in Suwanee drainage and other intervening areas. (Gilbert and Bailey, 1972)l 111. Endemic to St. Johns and Suwanee systems (Gastropoda: Pleuroceridae) Goniobasis floridensis: 4 allopatric populations: ( 1 ) Oklawaha River. [Goniobasis flortdensis in Santa Fe-Suwannee rivers.] ( 2 ) Lake George area in St. Johns River. [Populations in Oklawaha River.] ( 3 ) Springs in Orange and Lake counties. [Populations in Lake George and possibly in Waccasassa River.] ( 4 ) Santa Fe-Suwannee rivers. [Goniobasis floridensis in Oklawaha River. ( R . Franz, pers. observ.)] (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) Amnicola retromargo: Black and Clark creeks (St. Johns drainage), Santa Fe River and creek in Dixie Co. (Suwannee drainage). [Subgenus Lyogyrus widely distributed in eastern North America. (Thompson, 1968)l (Gastropoda: Vivparidae) Campeloma floridense: Black Creek, springs along Oklawaha River, and middle St. Johns River. [Unknown. (F . G. Thompson, pers. comm.)] ( Amphipoda: Garnmaridae) Gammarus new sp.: Undescribed species from Silver River, a tributary of Black Creek, and a spring along Santa Fe River. [G. tigrinus-fasciatus complex known from Georgia northwards. (J . R. Holsinger, pers. comm.)] IV. Disjunct populations in the St. Johns, or Santa Fe-St. Johns systems (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) Notogillia wetherbyi: St. Johns River system, Waccasassa, Withlacoochee, and lower Suwannee rivers. [Chipola River in Florida and Georgia. (Thompson, 1968)l ( Insecta :Baetiscidae) Baetisca gibbera: Black Creek. [Escambia River and upper Suwannee drainage in Georgia. (Berner, 1955)] ( Insecta :Chironomidae) Potthastia new sp.: Undescribed species from tributary of Black Creek. [Northern Georgia. (W. Beck, pers. comm.)] (Insecta: Plecoptera) Acroneuria sp.: Black Creek. [Florida panhandle. (Berner, 1955)l Neophasganophora capitata: Black Creek. [Apalachicola River. (Berner, 1955)l (Osteichthyes: Cyprinidae) Notropis welaka: Oklawaha-St. Johns rivers. [Apalachicola River westward. (Burgess