Phylogenetic position of Trichomycterus astromycterus (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae), an enigmatic trichomycterid from eastern Brazil, inferred from molecular data

Abstract

Recently in this journal, a new trichomycterine from eastern Brazil, Trichomycterus astromycterus, was described and considered possibly related to the Chilean Bullockia maldonadoi due to morphological similarities. Subsequently, osteological data supported T. astromycterus in the subgenus Psammocambeva of Trichomycterus, from eastern Brazil. Phylogenetic analyses, performed here, using a multigene data set for a broad trichomycterine sample, corroborate T. astromycterus as a member of Psammocambeva, reinforcing the importance of molecular data for inferring trichomycterine relationships but showing that osteological data alone may infer correctly phylogenetic placements when using broad comparative databases.

Keywords: Neotropical catfish; molecular systematic; phylogeny; trichomycterine classification.