Patterns of genetic differentiation in the Gymnogeophagus gymnogenys species complex, a neotropical cichlid from South American basins

Abstract

The neotropical cichlid genus Gymnogeophagus is distributed in the Río de la Plata basin and in Dos Patos and Merín coastal lagoons on the border between Uruguay and southern Brazil. A phylogeographic approach based on mitochondrial cytochrome b analysis was performed to assess the patterns and processes of differentiation in this taxon. Gymnogeophagus gymnogenys showed high haplotype diversity (H = 0.992) and corrected mtDNA genetic distances ranged from 0 to 5.3%. Our analyses yielded robust support for the existence of four monophyletic groups within G. gymnogenys from the analyzed basins. No correlation between the aforementioned clades and geographic structure was found, since individuals belonging to different phylogenetic clades inhabit the same locality. The phylogeographic approach presented here showed that these four phylogroups (1, 2, 3 and 4) were sister groups. Our present findings would corroborate that G. gymnogenys could be integrated by different phylogenetic lineages, showing an explosive differentiation pattern and confirming the hypothesis that this taxon constitutes a species complex.

Descriptions of five new species of the Neotropical cichlid genus Gymnogeophagus Miranda Ribeiro, 1918 (Teleostei: Cichliformes) from the rio Uruguay drainage

“…Gymnogeophagus constellatus was not available and not included in that analysis. The monophyly of the G. gymnogenys clade was further tested by Pereyra & García (2008), that found the populations of the G. gymnogenys complex monophyletic, including four clades: clade 1 (= G. mekinos in this study), clade 2 (= G. pseudolabiatus in this study), clade 3 (=G. tiraparae according to González-Bergonzoni et al, 2009), and clade 4 (=G.…”

“…The presence of freshwater fish species from the río Negro drainage in the río Tacuarí and río Yaguarón drainages has been previously reported by Loureiro et al (2011), which also describe a characteristic elbow of capture involving the río Tacuarí and the río Negro. Although we have not examined those specimens sequenced by Pereyra & García (2008), the presence of G. mekinos in the río Tacuarí / lagoa Mirim drainage is probable based on their DNA analysis.…”

“…1). Pereyra & García (2008) have identified specimens belonging to their Clade 1 (recognized herein as G. mekinos) from the río Tacuarí and río Yaguarón (rio Jaguarão in Brazil) basins, both tributaries of the lagoa Mirim, laguna dos Patos drainage. The presence of freshwater fish species from the río Negro drainage in the río Tacuarí and río Yaguarón drainages has been previously reported by Loureiro et al (2011), which also describe a characteristic elbow of capture involving the río Tacuarí and the río Negro.…”

A new species of Gymnogeophagus from the río Negro and río Tacuarí basins, Uruguay (Teleostei: Perciformes)

“…Its monophyly has been corroborated by morphological (Reis & Malabarba, 1988) and molecular (Winberberg et al, 1998;López-Fernández et al, 2005a, b;Pereyra & García, 2008) analyses. However, as occurs in other Neotropical Cichlidae (Kullander, 2003), species level taxonomy, distribution patterns and reproductive behavioral evolution are still unclear (Winberberg et al, 1998).…”

A new species of Gymnogeophagus Miranda Ribeiro from Uruguay (Teleostei: Cichliformes)

“…The monophyly of the genus has been largely corroborated by morphological and molecular data (Reis & Malabarba, 1988;Wimberger et al, 1998;Pereyra & García, 2008;López-Fernández et al, 2010;Malabarba et al, 2010). However, species-level taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships, distribution patterns, and the evolutionary history of differences in reproductive behavior are still unclear.…”