Molecular phylogenetics of the Neotropical fish family Prochilodontidae (Teleostei: Characiformes).
Migratory detritivores of the characiform family Prochilodontidae occur throughout the freshwaters of much of South America. Prochilodontids often form massive populations and many species achieve substantial body sizes; a combination that makes them one of the most commercially important fish groups on the continent. Their economic significance notwithstanding, prochilodontids have never been the subject of a comprehensive molecular phylogenetic analysis. Using three mitochondrial and three nuclear loci spanning all prochilodontid species, we generated a novel phylogenetic hypothesis for the family. Our results strongly support monophyly of the family and the three included genera. A novel, highly supported placement of Ichthyoelephas sister to the clade containing Prochilodus and Semaprochilodus diverges from a previous morphological hypothesis. Most previously hypothesized interspecific relationships are corroborated and some longstanding polytomies within Prochilodus and Semaprochilodus are resolved. The morphologically similar P. brevis, P. lacustris, P. nigricans and P. rubrotaeniatus are embedded within what is herein designated as the P. nigricans group. Species limits and distributions of these species are problematic and the group clearly merits taxonomic revision.
Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA. Electronic address: melo@ibb.unesp.br.
Bruno F
BF
Melo
Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA; Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
Brian L
BL
Sidlauskas
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
Kendra
K
Hoekzema
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
Benjamin W
BW
Frable
Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
Richard P
RP
Vari
Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
Claudio
C
Oliveira
D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D060125:Characiformes / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013020:South America
D004247:DNA
Freshwater fishes; Multilocus analysis; South America; Systematics