title: The phylogenetic position of Lepidopygopsis typus (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), a monotypic freshwater fish endemic to the Western Ghats of India.
abstract: Lepidopygopsis, known as the peninsular-Indian hill trout, is a monotypic genus endemic to the Periyar stream-reservoir system, in the Western Ghats. Due to the morphological similarity of its only species, L. typus, with the Himalayan schizothoracine fishes, it was considered to be a relict species and a classic example of disjunct distribution. Using mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequence datasets, we show that L. typus is not allied to the schizothoracine fishes. Phylogenetic hypothesis-testing unequivocally supports a scenario in which L. typus and a clade comprising various genera of Asian and African barbins such as Tor Gonoproktopterus, Kosswigobarbus and Varicorhinus are sister groups. Based on our results, we suggest that the sheath of tile-like scales covering the anal-fin base of schizothoracine fishes and Lepidopygopsis typus could be a symplesiomorphy or a homoplasy.
authors.affiliation: Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, 411 021 India. n.dahanukar@iiserpune.ac.in
authors.forename: Neelesh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dahanukar
authors.forename: Siby
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Philip
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krishnakumar
authors.forename: Anvar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Rajeev
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raghavan
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007194:India; D010802:Phylogeny