Phylogenetic relationships of the neon tetras Paracheirodon spp. (Characiformes: Characidae: Stethaprioninae), including comments on Petitella georgiae and Hemigrammus bleheri

Abstract

Neon tetras (Paracheirodon spp.) are three colorful characid species with a complicated taxonomic history, and relationships among the species are poorly known. Molecular data resolved the relationships among the three neon tetras, and strongly supported monophyly of the genus and its sister taxon relationship to Brittanichthys. Additionally, the sister-taxon relationship of the rummy-nose tetras Hemigrammus bleheri and Petitella georgiae was strongly supported by molecular and morphological data. Therefore, we propose to transfer the rummy-nose tetras H. bleheri and H. rhodostomus to the genus Petitella. Furthermore, Petitella georgiae is likely to be a species complex comprised of at least two species.

Mitochondrial Genome Structures and Phylogenetic Analyses of Two Tropical Characidae Fishes

“…This two genera have been discussed in a recent taxonomic study. The taxonomic status of three species has been reassessed: Hemigrammus bleheri should be Petitella bleheri ( Bittencourt et al, 2020 ), renamed Astyanax giton as Deuterodon giton , and Astyanax paranae as Psalidodon paranae ( Terán et al, 2020 ). These results indicated that the taxonomic status of the family Characidae is currently unresolved, and morphological classification combined with the usage of mitogenomes and other molecular markers are needed for comprehensive classification ( Liu et al, 2020 ).…”