Journal Article
Opening the Trojan horse: phylogeny of Astyanax, two new genera and resurrection of Psalidodon (Teleostei: Characidae)
Terán, G.E., Benitez, M.F. and Mirande, J.M.
Record Number:
4589
Year:
2020
Journal:
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
Pages:
1217–1234
Volume:
190
Abstract:
The freshwater fish genus Astyanax is one of the most diverse among the Characidae. The genus is defined
by a combination of character states that are widely distributed in Characidae. In addition, the genus has the
broadest geographical distribution in the family, being found in a great variety of environments of the Neotropical
region. Although phylogenetic relationships were treated only partially, many authors agree that the genus is
not monophyletic. In this contribution, we study the phylogenetic relationships of Astyanax in the context of the
family Characidae, by combining morphological and molecular data. A total of 520 morphological characters, nine
molecular markers and 608 taxa are analysed, of which 98 belong to Astyanax. According to our results, Astyanax is
not monophyletic. We recovered species attributed to Astyanax in different subfamilies: Gymnocharacinae (including
the type species), Stevardiinae and Tetragonopterinae. Among the species recovered in Gymnocharacinae, most
(including the type species, the resurrected Psalidodon, and the new genus Andromakhe gen. nov.) were recovered
in Gymnocharacini, while the remaining ones were recovered in Probolodini (transferred to Deuterodon or the new
genus Makunaima gen. nov.).
ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: fishes – Gymnocharacinae – Gymnocharacini – implied weighting – parsimony –
Probolodini – Stevardiinae – systematics – taxonomy – Tetragonopterinae.
Times Cited:
3