Molecular phylogenetics reveals a pattern of biome conservatism in New World anchovies (family Engraulidae)

Abstract

Evolutionary transitions between marine and freshwater biomes are relatively rare events, yielding a widespread pattern of biome conservatism among aquatic organisms. We investigated biome transitions in anchovies (Engraulidae), a globally distributed clade of economically important fishes. Most anchovy species are near‐shore marine fishes, but several exclusively freshwater species are known from tropical rivers of South America and were previously thought to be the product of six or more independent freshwater invasions. We generated a comprehensive molecular phylogeny for Engraulidae, including representatives from 15 of 17 currently recognized genera. Our data support previous hypotheses of higher‐level relationships within Engraulidae, but show that most New World genera are not monophyletic and in need of revision. Ancestral character reconstruction reveals that New World freshwater anchovies are the product of a single marine to freshwater transition, supporting a pattern of biome conservatism. We argue that competition is the principal mechanism that regulates aquatic biome transitions on a continental scale.

Review and consideration on habitat use, distribution and life history of Lycengraulis grossidens (Agassiz, 1829) (Actinopterygii, Clupeiformes, Engraulididae)

“…The currently recognized molecular phylogenetics arrangement of New World anchovies suggest that fresh water South America species are the product of a single evolutionary transition from a marine to freshwater environment (Bloom & Lovejoy 2012). Thus, L. grossidens derived from freshwater lineages, where Jurengraulis juruensis was the basal lineages, the topology is fully resolved as follows: (Jurengraulis, (Amazonsprattus, (Anchoviella, (Pterengraulis, (Lycengraulis batesii, (L. poeyi, L. grossidens)))))) (Bloom & Lovejoy 2012).…”

“…Thus, L. grossidens derived from freshwater lineages, where Jurengraulis juruensis was the basal lineages, the topology is fully resolved as follows: (Jurengraulis, (Amazonsprattus, (Anchoviella, (Pterengraulis, (Lycengraulis batesii, (L. poeyi, L. grossidens)))))) (Bloom & Lovejoy 2012). (Evermann & Kendall 1906, Hildebrand 1943, Menezes 1950, Fuster de Plaza & Boschi 1961, Vieira et al 1996, Benedito-Cecilio et al 1997, Saint-Paul et al 2000, Saad et al 2002, Joyeux et al 2004, Cervigón 2005, Ramos 2005, Bortoluzzi et al 2006, Burns et al 2006, Queiroz et al 2006, Loebmann et al 2008, Sánchez-Botero et al 2008, Costa & SouzaConceição 2009 (Figure 3 (Schultz 1949, Fuster de Plaza & Boschi 1961, Valdez & Aguilera 1987, Whitehead et al 1988, Albuquerque 1994, Santos et al 1998, Kullender & Ferraris 2003, Cervigón 2005, Guedes et al 2005, Silva 2006, Lira & Teixeira 2008, Santos et al 2008, Mai et al 2012 (Figure 3).…”

“…Despite of large advances have been achieved with the molecular phylogenetics studies, and the publications of tools for application in population genetics as primers to microsatellite amplification (Lavoué et al 2010, Bloom & Lovejoy 2012, Mai et al 2013, population genetic studies are needed in order to know the degree of connectivity and gene flow between populations, as evidenced by the morphological investigations carried out along the Brazilian Coast by Silva (2006).…”

“…Currently, sixteen genera of Engraulididae are recognized (Froese & Pauly 2011). Anchovies are primarily marine fishes, but in South America there are 12+ species that occur in major tropical rivers (Berra 2007, Bloom & Lovejoy 2012.…”

The evolutionary origins of diadromy inferred from a time-calibrated phylogeny for Clupeiformes (herring and allies)

“…Molecular laboratory protocols and primer information for newly generated sequences have previously been published [29,33]. Whenever possible, two or more specimens per species were sequenced for each gene and preliminary analyses were conducted as a measure of quality control.…”