A combined molecular and morphological phylogeny of the Loricariinae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae), with emphasis on the Harttiini and Farlowellini

PLoS One. 2021 Mar 15;16(3):e0247747. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247747. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

We present a combined molecular and morphological phylogenetic analysis of the Loricariinae, with emphasis on the Harttiini (Cteniloricaria, Harttia, and Harttiella) and Farlowellini (Aposturisoma, Farlowella, Lamontichthys, Pterosturisoma, Sturisoma, and Sturisomatichthys). Character sampling comprised seven molecular markers (the mitochondrial Cytb, nd2, 12S and 16S, and the nuclear MyH6, RAG1 and RAG2) and 196 morphological characters. A total of 1,059 specimens, and 159 tissue samples were analized, representing 100 species. A Bayesian Inference analysis was performed using the concatenated data matrix, which is comprised of 6,819 characters. The Loricariinae were found to comprise the tribes (Hartiini (Loricariini, Farlowellini)), the latter two elevated from subtribes. A Maximum Parsimony analysis was also performed using the same data matrix in order to reveal phenotypical synapomorphies to diagnose each clade. Two MP trees were found with a length of 14,704 steps, consistency index of 0.29 and retention index of 0.61, which were summarized in a strict consensus tree. Harttiini includes (Harttiella (Cteniloricaria, Harttia), and Farlowellini includes (Lamontichthys (Pterosturisoma (Sturisoma (Sturisomatichthys, Farlowella)))). Aposturisoma was recovered nested within Farlowella and is synonymyzed to the latter. Sturisoma was corroborated as strictly cis-Andean, while Sturisomatichthys encompasses, besides the valid species already included in the genus, the trans-Andean species once belonging to Sturisoma sensu lato. Identification keys and phylogenetic diagnoses of family-group taxa and genera of both the Harttiini and the Farlowellini are provided.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Catfishes / anatomy & histology
  • Catfishes / classification
  • Catfishes / genetics*
  • Cell Nucleus / genetics
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / genetics
  • Fish Proteins / genetics*
  • Genetic Markers
  • Mitochondria / genetics
  • Phylogeny*

Substances

  • DNA, Mitochondrial
  • Fish Proteins
  • Genetic Markers

Grants and funding

L-B was partially supported by a Smithsonian Institution Short Term Visitor Academic Appointment fellowship, by CNPq through a Ph.D. scholarship (process # 140600/2014-0), financial support by Colciencias (process 529), and a Postdoctoral Fellowship from FAPERJ Pós-Doutorado Nota 10 (05/2019- E-26/202.356/2019). RER is partially supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq processes #306455/2014-5 and #400166/2016-0). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.