Nomenclatural changes should not be based on equivocally supported phylogenies: Reply to Yang et al. 2015

Schmidt, Ray C.; Bart, Henry L.

doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2015.05.025

Cited by 27 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Yang et al (2015) proposed the revalidation of the genus Enteromius Cope, 1867 to accommodate all African diploid 'Barbus' species, as it is the oldest available genus group name for these fishes. Recently, this revalidation has been criticized (Schmidt & Bart Jr. 2015); we prefer, however, the use of Enteromius over 'Barbus'.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphometry and DNA barcoding reveal cryptic diversity in the genus Enteromius (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from the Congo basin, Africa

Ginneken

Decru

Verheyen

et al. 2017

EJT

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Abstract. One of the main challenges to adequately conserve the African fish fauna is to improve our so far unsatisfactory taxonomic knowledge of important portions of the ichthyofauna. In the present study, we attempted to unravel the taxonomic diversity of some species of Enteromius Cope, 1867, a problematic African fish genus, recently collected in the north-eastern part of the Congo basin. We used an integrative approach, combining DNA barcodes and morphological analyses. For one of the species complexes found, the E. miolepis/eutaenia species complex, we evaluated taxonomic diversity over a larger geographic scale within the Congo drainage system. Although initial literature-based species identifications allowed us to assign all examined specimens to four tentative species, DNA barcodes indicated the presence of 23 distinct mitochondrial lineages. The majority of these lineages appeared endemic to particular rivers, and in most rivers multiple lineages occur in sympatry. Subsequent exploratory morphometric analyses indicated that almost all these lineages are morphologically distinguishable and that they may therefore represent undescribed species. As only a part of the Congo basin and a subset of the species diversity within Enteromius were examined, it appears that the species richness of Enteromius in the Congo basin is severely underestimated.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphometry and DNA barcoding reveal cryptic diversity in the genus Enteromius (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from the Congo basin, Africa

Ginneken

Decru

Verheyen

et al. 2017

EJT

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“…Resolution of phylogenetic relationships among the more than 300 species of African smiliogastrins remains an outstanding problem in cyprinid systematics (Berrebi et al, 1996;Schmidt and Bart, 2015). While no attempt is made here to place the newly discovered "Barbus" validus phylogenetically, we do note some apparent similarities between this species and certain members of the smiliogastrin genus, Clypeobarbus, as recently rediagnosed by Stiassny and Sakharova (in press).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

“…While Yang et al 's (2015) study represents progress toward resolution of tribal-level relationships among the more the 1300 species of the subfamily Cyprininae, their sampling of African members of the newly erected tribe Smiliogastrini (viz., all African small barbs and their allies, and most members of the Asian genus Puntius and allies) was limited. And, as noted by Schmidt and Bart (2015), the current lack of resolution of relationships within the tribe renders the adoption of the name Enteromius for the numerous small-bodied African barbs problematical. If classification and nomenclature are to reflect phylogenetic relationships and monophyly is to prevail then, based on the trees presented by Yang et al (2015), certain putatively monophyletic genera such as Barboides and Clypeobarbus will either need to be sunk into Enteromius, or various Enteromius species will need to be reassigned to Barboides and Clypeobarbus.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A New Small Barb (Cyprininae: Smiliogastrini) from the N'sele and Mayi Ndombe Rivers in the Lower Reaches of the Middle Congo Basin (Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa)

Liyandja

Iyaba

2016

American Museum Novitates

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A new species of smiliogastrin cyprinid is described from tributaries of the middle Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Restriction of the genus name, Barbus, to certain large-bodied, (polyploid) barbins, and current uncertainty regarding phylogenetic relationships among the numerous small-bodied African (diploid) barbs, renders generic assignment for the new species problematical. Pending the results of ongoing systematic analyses, and to reduce short-term nomenclatural instability, the new species is described here as a species of "Barbus." 3 "Barbus" validus, new species, is readily distinguished from all other small-bodied African barbs by the combined possession of scales in midlateral series that are not enlarged relative to those along the impinging rows above and below; well-developed barbels, with the maxillary pair extending beyond the level of mideye, and the mandibular pair reaching the level of midopercle; the presence of numerous conical tubercles over the snout, cheek, and dorsum of head; a small circular occipital fontanel located medially at the parietal suture; well-developed gill rakers, with 8 or 9 on the hypo-and ceratobranchial elements of the first arch; a last unbranched dorsal-fin ray that is weakly ossified and lacking serrations along the posterior border; and a dorsal fin that is creamy white proximally and with the distal half to two thirds darkly pigmented.

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“…We do not follow the controversial suggestion by Yang et al (2015) to classify 'Barbus' holotaenia and other small 'Barbus' in the genus Enteromius because this nomenclatural change does not consider the type species (Enteromius potamogalis Cope, 1867) and is therefore inconclusive (see Schmidt & Bart, 2015). We follow Berrebi, Kottelat, Skelton, and Rab (1996) and continue to refer to these African barbs as…”

Section: Materials a Nd Methodsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Morphological novelty and modest developmental truncation in Barboides, Africa's smallest vertebrates (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

Conway

Kubicek

Britz

2017

Journal of Morphology

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Miniaturization, the evolution of extremely small adult body size, is widespread amongst animals and commonly associated with novel ecological, physiological, and morphological attributes. The phenotypes of miniaturized taxa are noteworthy because they combine reductions and structural simplifications with novel traits not developed in their larger relatives. Previous research on miniature cyprinid fishes (focused predominantly on South and South East Asian taxa of a single subfamily) has identified two distinct classes of miniature taxa: proportioned dwarves and developmentally truncated miniatures. Miniaturization has also occurred independently in the subfamily Cyprininae, particularly in African lineages. We investigate the skeletal anatomy of Barboides, a genus of miniature African cyprinids that includes Africa's smallest known species of vertebrates, to assess whether miniaturization has resulted in similar organismal outcomes in different lineages of the Cyprinidae. The skeleton of Barboides is characterized by the complete absence of a number of dermal and endochondral ossifications, and marked reduction in size and/or complexity of other skeletal elements, particularly those of the dermatocranium. Absent skeletal elements in Barboides include those which develop relatively late in the ossification sequence of the non-miniature African relative 'Barbus' holotaenia suggesting that their absence in Barboides can be explained by a simple scenario of developmental truncation. In contrast to this theme of loss and reduction, the os suspensorium of Barboides is enlarged and the outer arm distally trifid and associated with a novel bulbous muscle in males. An evaluation of the skeleton of Barboides provides further evidence for a link between developmental truncation and evolutionary morphological novelty in Cyprinidae. In the spectrum of miniature cyprinids ranging from proportioned dwarves with few bones missing to highly progenetic taxa with dozens of missing bones, the two species of Barboides range roughly in the middle showing that the extremes are connected by intermediate levels of truncatedness.

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Nomenclatural changes should not be based on equivocally supported phylogenies: Reply to Yang et al. 2015

Cited by 27 publications

References 9 publications

Morphometry and DNA barcoding reveal cryptic diversity in the genus Enteromius (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from the Congo basin, Africa

Morphometry and DNA barcoding reveal cryptic diversity in the genus Enteromius (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from the Congo basin, Africa

A New Small Barb (Cyprininae: Smiliogastrini) from the N'sele and Mayi Ndombe Rivers in the Lower Reaches of the Middle Congo Basin (Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa)

Morphological novelty and modest developmental truncation in Barboides, Africa's smallest vertebrates (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

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