The phylogenetic placement of Hollandichthys Eigenmann 1909 (Teleostei: Characidae) and related genera

• Published in: Molecular phylogenetics and evolution Vol. 57; no. 3; pp. 1347 - 1352
• Main Authors: Thomaz, Andréa T., Malabarba, Luiz R., Bonatto, Sandro L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.12.2010
• Subjects: Animals; Bayes Theorem; Cell Nucleus - genetics; Characidae; Cladding; Clade C; DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics; Evolution; Evolution, Molecular; Fishes - classification; Fishes - genetics; Genes; Hyphessobrycon; Incertae sedis; Molecular phylogeny; Phylogeny; Placement; Pseudochalceus; Rachoviscus; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Teleostei; Pseudochalceus; Molecular phylogeny; Incertae sedis; Clade C; Rachoviscus
• ISSN: 1055-7903; 1095-9513; 1095-9513
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.10.006

[Display omitted] ► Phylogeny of Hollandichthys and related genera is investigated with 3 mtDNA and 2 nuclear genes. ► The genus Rachoviscus was found to be the sister-group of Hollandichthys. ► Insemination evolved independently at least three times in the family Characidae. The phylogenetic relationships among characids are complex with many genera remaining of uncertain systematic position inside the family. The genus Hollandichthys is one of these problematic genera. It has been considered as incertae sedis inside this family until two recently published phylogenies, one morphological and one molecular, arrived at alternative hypothesizes as to the relationships of Hollandichthys with Pseudochalceus or Rachoviscus, respectively. In this paper, we infer the phylogenetic relations of these taxa based on five genes (three mitochondrial – COI, ND2 and 16S; and two nuclear – Sia and Trop), totaling up to 2719 bp. The 41 analyzed species in the Characidae include four incertae sedis characid taxa once hypothesized as related to Hollandichthys, but never analyzed in a single phylogeny ( Rachoviscus, Pseudochalceus, Nematocharax and Hyphessobrycon uruguayensis). Here we propose Rachoviscus as the sister-group of Hollandichthys, grouped in the large clade C previously defined, along with the remaining incertae sedis taxa studied here. In addition, we support the evidence that insemination evolved independently at least three times in the Characidae.