Pattern and process in the distribution of North American freshwater fish

摘要: Published species lists were analysed to determine the contributions of dispersal, habitat preference, river channel size, body and glacial history large-scale patterns in freshwater fish richness North America, north central Mexico. Total declines west but pattern for endemics differs from that widespread species. Mississippi Basin regions are more rich than isolated, coastal, regions. Richness rapidly with increasing latitude riverine specialist generalist Levels endemism greatest found small- medium-sized channels. The strong Rapoport effect, marked migratory resident species, is correlated history. Body size increases latitude, largely as a result trend small large migrant In unglaciated regions, ancestral survived habitats because these longer-lived, extensive, less isolated stable headwaters, permitting larger populations lower extinction levels. Reduced levels gene flow small, peripheral, channels by downstream have resulted production many, range, small-bodied latitudinal gradient consequence speciation events faunas an domination generalist, bodied, channel, recolonizing northern (C) 2010 Linnean Society London, Biological Journal Society, 2010, 100, 46-61.