Cyprinodon desquamator

{{Short description|Species of fish}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Cyprinodon Desquamator.jpg

| taxon = Cyprinodon desquamator

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Lyons, T.J. |year=2021 |title=Cyprinodon desquamator |page=e.T82958628A82962216 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T82958628A82962216.en |access-date=9 November 2022}}

| authority = C. H. Martin & Wainwright, 2013

}}

Cyprinodon desquamator is a scale-eating species of pupfish in the genus Cyprinodon. It is endemic to hypersaline interior lakes on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. It coexists alongside two other closely related Cyprinodon species C. brontotheroides and C. variegatus. Together, these three species represent a recent adaptive radiation,{{Cite journal|last1=Martin|first1=Christopher H.|last2=Wainwright|first2=Peter C.|title=Trophic Novelty is Linked to Exceptional Rates of Morphological Diversification in Two Adaptive Radiations of Cyprinodon Pupfish|date=2011-04-11|journal=Evolution|volume=65|issue=8|pages=2197–2212|doi=10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01294.x|pmid=21790569|issn=0014-3820|doi-access=free}} each having moved into a difference niche within their specialized environment. Each of these species are defined by distinct trophic adaptations that have affected various aspects of their functional morphology,{{cite journal |last1=Martin |first1=Christoper |title=Multiple Fitness Peaks on the Adaptive Landscape Drive Adaptive Radiation in the Wild |journal=Science |date=11 January 2013 |volume=339 |issue=6116 |pages=208–211 |doi=10.1126/science.1227710 |url=https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.1227710 |pmid=23307743|bibcode=2013Sci...339..208M |s2cid=25063734 |url-access=subscription }}{{Cite journal|last1=Hernandez|first1=Luz Patricia|last2=Adriaens|first2=Dominique|last3=Martin|first3=Christopher H.|last4=Wainwright|first4=Peter C.|last5=Masschaele|first5=Bert|last6=Dierick|first6=Manuel|date=2017-11-21|title=Building trophic specializations that result in substantial niche partitioning within a young adaptive radiation|journal=Journal of Anatomy|volume=232|issue=2|pages=173–185|doi=10.1111/joa.12742|pmid=29161774|pmc=5770325|issn=0021-8782|doi-access=free}} behavior,{{Cite journal|last1=St. John|first1=Michelle E.|last2=McGirr|first2=Joseph A.|last3=Martin|first3=Christopher H.|date=2018-03-11|title=Testing the behavioral origins of novelty: did increased aggression lead to scale-eating in pupfishes?|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/280123|access-date=2021-02-10|doi=10.1101/280123|s2cid=196635918|doi-access=free}} strike kinematics,{{Cite journal|last1=St. John|first1=Michelle E.|last2=Holzman|first2=Roi|last3=Martin|first3=Christopher H.|date=2019-05-24|title=Rapid adaptive evolution of scale-eating kinematics to a novel ecological niche|doi=10.1101/648451|s2cid=182865619|doi-access=free}} and reproductive coloration.{{Cite journal|last1=Martin|first1=Christopher H.|last2=Erickson|first2=Priscilla A.|last3=Miller|first3=Craig T.|date=2016-12-26|title=The genetic architecture of novel trophic specialists: larger effect sizes are associated with exceptional oral jaw diversification in a pupfish adaptive radiation|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mec.13935|journal=Molecular Ecology|volume=26|issue=2|pages=624–638|doi=10.1111/mec.13935|pmid=27873369|s2cid=7575973|issn=0962-1083|url-access=subscription}}

Cyprinodon desquamator has enlarged adductor muscles, a small in-lever to out-lever ratio for rapidly closing its large lower jaw, and an elongated body for quickly performing scale-removing strikes on Cyprinodon and Gambusia species.{{cite journal| author1=Martin, C. | author2=P.C. Wainwright | s2cid=23695342 | year=2011 | title=Trophic novelty is linked to exceptional rates of morphological diversification in two adaptive radiations of Cyprinodon pupfish | journal=Evolution | volume=65 | issue=8 | pages=2197–2212 | doi=10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01294.x| pmid=21790569 | doi-access=free }} This species spawns during the spring and summer, although it appears to be commoner in the summer. The males guard breeding territories.{{FishBase|Cyprinodon|desquamator|month=August|year=2019}}

Specific epithet: 'desquamator' comes from the Latin "one who removes scales from fishes", describing the scale-eating trophic specialization of this species, unique among Cyprinodontiform fishes.{{Cite journal|last1=Martin|first1=Christopher H.|last2=Wainwright|first2=Peter C.|date=2013-08-19|title=On the Measurement of Ecological Novelty: Scale-Eating Pupfish Are Separated by 168 my from Other Scale-Eating Fishes|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=8|issue=8|pages=e71164|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0071164|issn=1932-6203|pmc=3747246|pmid=23976994|bibcode=2013PLoSO...871164M |doi-access=free}}