A taxonomic revision of the whitefish of lakes brienz and thun, switzerland, with descriptions of four new species (Teleostei, coregonidae)

Abstract

The alpha taxonomy of the endemic whitefish of lakes Brienz and Thun, Switzerland, is revised. We evaluate the status of seven known species: Coregonus steinmanni sp. nov., Coregonus profundus sp. nov. and Coregonus acrinasus sp. nov. are endemic to Lake Thun; Coregonus brienzii sp. nov. is endemic to Lake Brienz; and C. alpinus, C. albellus, and C. fatioi from lakes Brienz and Thun are redescribed. One of these species, C. alpinus, is revised, since the lectotype for this species is incongruent with the species description given by Kottelat (1997) and Kottelat and Freyhof (2007). The name C. alpinus is thus retained for the lectotype designated by Kottelat (1997) and a new description of this taxon provided. For the species otherwise described by Kottelat (1997) and Kottelat and Freyhof (2007) as C. alpinus the new name C. profundus is designated. Coregonus acrinasus is genetically partially of allochthonous origin, closely related to the radiation of Lake Constance, and we therefore compare it to all recognized species of Lake Constance, C. wartmanni, C. macrophthalmus, C. arenicolus, and C. gutturosus.