New insights into the molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of mormyrids (Osteoglossiformes, Actinopterygii) in northern East Africa

Abstract

Based on morphological data and analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and nuclear (S7 intron 1) DNA sequences, the phylogenetic relationships of all Pollimyrus species known from the Omo-Turkana enclosed basin and Nile system below the Murchison Falls were solved. A mormyrid "Pollimyrus" petherici is distantly related to all other studied Pollimyrus species and clusters together with Cyphomyrus species forming with the later a monophyletic group. Moreover, the West African (but not the Congo River) populations of Cyphomyrus psittacus, the type species of the genus, seem to be conspecific to C. petherici. That is, the range of the genus Cyphomyrus is extended toward the Nile and

A review of the systematic biology of fossil and living bony-tongue fishes, Osteoglossomorpha (Actinopterygii: Teleostei)

“…Other previous phylogenetic studies, reviewed by Sullivan et al (2000), include Agnèse, Bigorne (1992), Van der Bank, Kramer (1996), Alves-Gomes, Hopkins (1997), Alves-Gomes (1999), and Lavoué et al (2000). Recent molecular phylogenetic studies of relationships of Mormyrinae include those of Sullivan et al (2016) and Levin, Golubtsov (2018), and provide further evidence that the taxonomy and phylogeny of Mormyridae is far from settled.…”

TheCyphomyrusMyers 1960 (Osteoglossiformes: Mormyridae) of the Lufira basin (Upper Lualaba: DR Congo): A generic reassignment and the description of a new species

“…The genus Cyphomyrus Myers 1960 is morphologically characterized by: (a) a rounded or arched back; and (b) a long dorsal fin, with its origin situated in between the pelvic‐ and the anal‐fin origin and its posterior end situated behind that of the anal fin (Kramer & Van der Bank, ; Levin & Golubtsov, ; Skelton, ). In addition, species of Cyphomyrus possess 27–40 rays on the dorsal fin, 22–27 rays on the anal fin, 10–12 rays on the pectoral fin, 12, rarely 13, circumpenduncular scales (Kramer & Van der Bank, ; Skelton, ) and 58–74 scales along the lateral line (Boulenger, ).…”

“…The name Cyphomyrus is derived from the Greek prefix ‘ kuphos ’, meaning hunchback, and the Greek ‘ muros ’, the often‐used combining form for mormyrus (Myers, ). The genus Cyphomyrus currently contains six valid species (Fricke et al ., ; Kramer & Van der Bank, ; Levin & Golubtsov, ). Four of these are known from the Congo basin, more precisely C. discorhynchus (Peters 1852), C. macrops (Boulenger 1909), C. psittacus (Boulenger ) and C. wilverthi (Boulenger 1898) (see Gosse, ).…”

“…discorhynchus , described from the Lower Zambezi (Mozambique), is found throughout the Zambezi and the Lake Malawi and Tanganyika basins (Gosse, ; Scott et al ., ; Skelton, ). Furthermore, C. petherici (Boulenger 1898) is known from the White Nile, the Blue Nile, the Murchison Nile and the Omo system (Golubtsov & Darkov, ; Levin & Golubtsov, ). As such, its presence in the Congo basin, that is, the Malagarazi River (De Vos et al ., ), seems doubtful and requires confirmation (see Levin & Golubtsov, ).…”

“…Furthermore, C. petherici (Boulenger 1898) is known from the White Nile, the Blue Nile, the Murchison Nile and the Omo system (Golubtsov & Darkov, ; Levin & Golubtsov, ). As such, its presence in the Congo basin, that is, the Malagarazi River (De Vos et al ., ), seems doubtful and requires confirmation (see Levin & Golubtsov, ). Finally, C. cubangoensis (Pellegrin ), is known from the Okavango River basin (syntypes) and Okavango delta, the Kwando River and the Upper Zambezi River system (Kramer & Van der Bank, ).…”