The Tyee Fish Fauna and Evidence of an Endemic Redside Shiner on the Coast of Oregon

A group of Oregon coastal drainages between the Siuslaw and Sixes rivers contain seven primary freshwater species we refer to as the Tyee fish fauna. Almost all Tyee fishes have been described as named or un-named endemics, or as having unique molecular or morphological characteristics, but most are not currently recognized as valid species. One of these named, but unrecognized, taxa is the Tyee redside shiner, Richardsonius siuslawi. We used redside shiners from throughout their range, and examined spawning coloration, fin positions and counts, and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA to determine if multiple datasets would corroborate the distinction of the Tyee redside shiner. We found both morphological and molecular evidence suggesting that the Tyee redside shiner was distinct and reciprocally monophyletic with other members of the genus. As is the case with other Tyee fishes, the Tyee redside shiner is sister to a lower Columbia taxon and differences are slight.