Phylogenomics of the bumblebee catfishes (Siluriformes: Pseudopimelodidae) using ultraconserved elements

Abstract

Neotropical catfishes of the family Pseudopimelodidae comprise 53 species allocated to seven genera widely distributed in South America from northwestern Colombia and Venezuela to Argentina and Uruguay. Intergeneric relationships based on morphology‐based phylogenies are conflicting, and the interspecific relationships remain incipient. We conducted the first molecular phylogeny of the family by analyzing sequence data from ultraconserved elements (UCEs) of the genome for 33 specimens of Pseudopimelodidae and 19 related taxa. Phylogenetic relationships were accessed by concatenated matrices using Bayesian inference and, maximum likelihood, and the coalescent approach by a species tree analysis. The phylogeny with 868 UCE loci and 906,689 bp strongly support the monophyly of Pseudopimelodidae, and the arrangement of two major subclades herein classified as subfamilies Pseudopimelodinae and the newly proposed Batrochoglaninae. Pseudopimelodinae is composed by Cruciglanis sister to Pseudopimelodus and Rhyacoglanis, whereas the new subfamily Batrochoglaninae is composed by Cephalosilurus and Lophiosilurus as sister to Batrochoglanis and Microglanis. Pseudopimelodinae is supported by five morphological synapomorphies and Batrochoglaninae supported by three such synapomorphies. The results of this study will surely guide future research aiming to delimit and describe species within the monophyletic groups.

Rediscovery of Rhyacoglanis pulcher (Boulenger, 1887) (Siluriformes: Pseudopimelodidae), a rare rheophilic bumblebee catfish from Ecuadorian Amazon

“…Both results differ from the molecular phylogeny using ultra-conserved elements performed by Silva et al . [ 4 ], in which a specimen from Maranõn river (Peru) identified as R . pulcher is the first to diverge within the genus.…”

“…pulcher is the first to diverge within the genus. However, Silva et al [ 4 ] did not provide photographs of the voucher or details in how they proceeded the identification. Consequently, we recommend revaluating the specimen identity in light of the present study before assuming it as R .…”

New phylogenetic insights into the African catfish families Mochokidae and Austroglanididae

“…As in previous phylogenetic studies ( i.e ., Arcila et al ., 2017; Betancur‐R. et al ., 2017; Kappas et al ., 2016; Silva et al ., 2021; Sullivan et al ., 2006), several multifamily clades were recovered, including (a) a clade (BS: 73) composed of Aspredinidae + Doradoidea (Doradidae + Auchenipteridae), (b) Clarioidea (Clariidae + Heteropneustidae; BS: 100), (c) Pimelodoidea (Pimelodidae + Pseudopimelodidae; BS: 100, note that the family Heptapteridae and the genus Conorhynchos Bleeker, 1858 are missing in our analysis), (d) Ictaluroidea (Ictaluridae + Cranoglanididae (BS: 100), (e) the informal clade ‘Big Asia’ (BS: 100) and (f) the informal clade ‘Big Africa’ (BS: 78). Furthermore, we recovered a clade (BS: 70) encompassing Ictaluroidea, Ariidae, Pangasiidae and Austroglanididae as the sister group of the ‘Big Africa clade’ again with moderate support (BS: 71).…”

“…As in previous phylogenetic studies (i.e., Arcila et al, 2017;Kappas et al, 2016;Silva et al, 2021;Sullivan et al, 2006) focusing on the reconstruction of siluriform interfamily relationships (i.e., Kappas et al, 2016;Sullivan et al, 2006).…”

Characterization of the migratory pattern of Primordial Germ Cells in three neotropical fish species aiming genetic conservation actions

“…The marbled cat sh or Pseudopimelodus mangurus is a Siluriformes belonging to the little-known Pseudopimelodidae family, which comprises 53 described species (Silva et al 2021) with a distribution limited to the basins of the Rio de La Plata, (Ferraris 2007; Vera-Alcaraz et al 2017). Although information on feeding, handling, and reproduction of marbled cat sh in captivity has been reported recently (Arashiro et al 2018(Arashiro et al , 2020), knowledge about the population of P. mangurus in the environment, such as reproduction, age at gonadal maturation, genetic diversity and ecological aspects were not reported.…”