@article {620, title = {The Complete Genome Sequences of 38 Species of Elephantfishes (Mormyridae, Osteoglossiformes)}, year = {2022}, month = {Nov-21-2022}, abstract = {

We present the complete genome sequences of 38 species of elephantfishes from 20 genera. Illumina sequencing was performed on genetic material from single wild-caught individuals. The reads were assembled using a de novo method followed by a finishing step. The raw and assembled data is publicly available via Genbank.

}, issn = {2687-7945}, doi = {10.56179/001c.56077}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.56179/001c.56077}, author = {Rose Peterson and John P Sullivan and Stacy Pirro} } @article {10.3897/zookeys.1129.90287, title = {Mitogenome recovered from a 19th Century holotype by shotgun sequencing supplies a generic name for an orphaned clade of African weakly electric fishes (Osteoglossomorpha, Mormyridae)}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {1129}, year = {2022}, pages = {163-196}, publisher = {Pensoft Publishers}, abstract = {

Heteromormyrus Steindachner, 1866, a genus of Mormyridae (Teleostei: Osteoglossomorpha), has been monotypic since the description of Heteromormyrus pauciradiatus (Steindacher, 1866) from a single specimen. No type locality other than \“Angola\” was given and almost no specimens have been subsequently identified to this species. In order to investigate the relationship of this taxon to fresh specimens collected in Angola and elsewhere, whole genome paired-end sequencing of DNA extracted from the holotype specimen of Heteromormyrus pauciradiatus was performed and a nearly complete mitogenome assembled from the sequences obtained. Comparison of cytochrome oxidase I and cytochrome b sequences from this mitogenome to sequences from recently collected material reveal that Heteromormyrus pauciradiatus is closely related to specimens identified as Hippopotamyrus ansorgii (Boulenger, 1905), Hippopotamyrus szaboi Kramer, van der Bank \& Wink, 2004, Hippopotamyrus longilateralis Kramer \& Swartz, 2010, as well as to several undescribed forms from subequatorial Africa collectively referred to in the literature as the \“Hippopotamyrus ansorgii species complex\” and colloquially known as \“slender stonebashers.\” Previous molecular phylogenetic work has shown that these species are not close relatives of Hippopotamyrus castor Pappenheim, 1906, the type species of genus Hippopotamyrus Pappenheim, 1906 from Cameroon, and are thus misclassified. Hippopotamyrus ansorgii species complex taxa and another species shown to have been misclassified, Paramormyrops tavernei (Poll, 1972), are placed in genus Heteromormyrus and one genetic lineage from the Kwanza and Lucala rivers of Angola are identified as conspecific Heteromormyrus pauciradiatus. Three additional new combinations and a synonymy in Mormyridae are introduced. The morphological characteristics and geographical distribution of the genus Heteromormyrus are reviewed. The electric organ discharges (EODs) of Heteromormyrus species are to be treated in a separate study.

}, keywords = {Angolan freshwater fishes, Heteromormyrus, Hippopotamyrus, historical DNA, mitogenomics, mormyrid, museomics, slender stonebasher}, issn = {1313-2989}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.1129.90287}, url = {https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1129.90287}, author = {John P Sullivan and Carl D Hopkins and Stacy Pirro and Rose Peterson and Albert Chakona and Tadiwa I. Mutizwa and Christian Mukweze Mulelenu and Fahad H. Alqahtani and Emmanuel Vreven and Casey B. Dillman} } @article {607, title = {Phylogenomics of bonytongue fishes (Osteoglossomorpha) shed light on the craniofacial evolution and biogeography of the weakly electric clade Mormyridae}, journal = {Systematic Biology}, volume = {71}, year = {2022}, month = {Jan-18-2022}, pages = {1032{\textendash}1044}, chapter = {1032}, abstract = {

Abstract Bonytongues (Osteoglossomorpha) constitute an ancient clade of teleost fishes distributed in freshwater habitats throughout the world. The group includes well-known species such as arowanas, featherbacks, pirarucus, and the weakly electric fishes in the family Mormyridae. Their disjunct distribution, extreme morphologies, and electrolocating capabilities (Gymnarchidae and Mormyridae) have attracted much scientific interest, but a comprehensive phylogenetic framework for comparative analysis is missing, especially for the species-rich family Mormyridae. Of particular interest are disparate craniofacial morphologies among mormyrids which might constitute an exceptional model system to study convergent evolution. We present a phylogenomic analysis based on 546 exons of 179 species (out of 260), 28 out of 29 genera, and all six families of extant bonytongues. Based on a recent reassessment of the fossil record of osteoglossomorphs, we inferred dates of divergence among trans-continental clades and the major groups. The estimated ages of divergence among extant taxa (e.g., Osteoglossomorpha, Osteoglossiformes, Mormyroidea) are older than previous reports, but most of the divergence dates obtained for clades on separate continents are too young to be explained by simple vicariance hypotheses. Biogeographic analysis of mormyrids indicates that their high species diversity in the Congo Basin is a consequence of range reductions of previously widespread ancestors and that the highest diversity of craniofacial morphologies among mormyrids originated in this basin. Special emphasis on a taxon-rich representation for mormyrids revealed pervasive misalignment between our phylogenomic results and mormyrid taxonomy due to repeated instances of convergence for extreme craniofacial morphologies. Estimation of ancestral phenotypes revealed contingent evolution of snout elongation and unique projections from the lower jaw to form the distinctive Schnauzenorgan. Synthesis of comparative analyses suggests that the remarkable craniofacial morphologies of mormyrids evolved convergently due to niche partitioning, likely enabled by interactions between their exclusive morphological and electrosensory adaptations.

}, keywords = {Africa, Ancestral State Estimation, Diversity, Exon Capture, Freshwater fishes, Phylogenomics}, issn = {1063-5157, 1076-836X}, doi = {10.1093/sysbio/syac001}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syac001}, author = {Rose Peterson and John P Sullivan and Carl D Hopkins and Santaquiteria, Aintzane and Casey B. Dillman and Stacy Pirro and Betancur-R, Ricardo and Arcila, Dahiana and Hughes, Lily C and Ort{\'\i}, Guillermo} } @article {578, title = {Marcusenius wamuinii (Teleostei: Mormyridae), a new elephantfish from the Mangroves National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo}, journal = {Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters}, volume = {1090}, year = {2019}, month = {15 May 2019}, chapter = {1}, abstract = {

Marcusenius wamuinii, a new large-scaled Marcusenius species, is described from the Mangroves National Park (MNP), a protected area situated at the mouth of the Lower Congo basin and its surroundings in the DR Congo. It can be distinguished from all its congeners based on the following unique combination of characteristics: 8 circumpeduncular scales, 27-31 anal-fin rays, 22-25 dorsal-fin rays, 19-22 scales between dorsal and anal fin, 46-53 lateral line scales, and a slender caudal peduncle (depth 4.4-5.9 \% SL). Its status as a distinct species is ad- ditionally confirmed by genetic data from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. This is the first new fish species discovered in the MNP, highlighting the importance of freshwater conservation in this area in which the fish fauna is still poorly known.
Marcusenius wamuinii, une nouvelle espèce de Marcusenius à grandes écailles est décrite du Parc Marin des Mangroves (PMM), une zone protégée située dans l\’embouchure du Bas Congo et ses environs en RD Congo. Elle se distingue de tous ses congénères sur la base de la combinaison unique des caractères suivants : 8 écailles circumpédonculaires, 27-31 rayons à la nageoire anale, 22-25 rayons à la nageoire dorsale, 19-22 écailles entre les nageoires dorsale et anale, 46-53 écailles en ligne latérale et un pédoncule caudal mince (hauteur 4.4-5.9 \% SL). Son statut d\’espèce distincte est également confirmé à base de résultats génétiques sur le gène mitochondrial cytochrome b. Ceci est la première nouvelle espèce de poisson découverte dans le PMM, soulignant l\’importance de la conservation des eaux douces dans cette Zone, dont la faune de poissons est encore largement méconnue.

}, issn = {0936-9902 }, doi = {10.23788 / IEF-1090}, url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333293882_Marcusenius_wamuinii_Teleostei_Mormyridae_a_new_elephantfish_from_the_Mangroves_National_Park_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo}, author = {Eva Decru and John P Sullivan and Emmanuel Vreven} } @article {544, title = {Rediscovery and description of Paramormyrops sphekodes (Sauvage, 1879) and a new cryptic Paramormyrops (Mormyridae: Osteoglossiformes) from the Ogoou{\'e} River of Gabon using morphometrics, DNA sequencing and electrophysiology}, journal = {Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society}, year = {2017}, month = {May-05-2017}, abstract = {

Species of the African electric fish in the genus Paramormyrops Taverne, Thys van den Audenaerde \& Heymer, 1977 constitute a recently recognized species flock with an impressive diversity of electric signals, but only modest morphological differentiation. For more than a century, confusion has surrounded the identity of Paramormyrops sphekodes (Sauvage, 1879), the earliest described species in this genus. Here we compare the morphometrics of type material to new specimens collected at the type locality on the Ogooué River of Gabon from which we additionally study DNA sequences and electric organ discharges (EODs). Based on our findings, we revise the diagnosis and description of P. sphekodes and also identify and describe a new species of Paramormyrops that is large, common and widespread in the Ogooué River basin, but cryptic and easily confounded with P. sphekodes. We designate as lectotype of P. sphekodes a specimen formerly regarded, in error, as the holotype and a second specimen originally collected with the lectotype as paralectotype. We conclude that only nine additional specimens can be identified with confidence as P. sphekodes: four from the type locality and five from a second site 45 km away. Instead of being widespread as previously thought, P. sphekodes may be restricted to a small region of the upper Ogooué River basin. Additionally, we present a revised diagnosis for the genus Paramormyrops Taverne et al., 1977, and key to species from Lower Guinea. This study illustrates the value of vouchered EOD recordings and of revisiting type localities, and lays a foundation for additional systematic work on this group.

}, issn = {0024-4082}, doi = {10.1093/zoolinnean/zlw004}, url = {https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlw004}, author = {Rich, Madeline and John P Sullivan and Carl D Hopkins} } @article {481, title = {Cryptomyrus: a new genus of Mormyridae (Teleostei, Osteoglossomorpha) with two new species from Gabon, West-Central Africa}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {561}, year = {2016}, month = {Aug-02-2016}, pages = {117 - 150}, abstract = {

Abstract
We use mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data to show that three weakly electric mormyrid fish specimens collected at three widely separated localities in Gabon, Africa over a 13-year period represent an unrecognized lineage within the subfamily Mormyrinae and determine its phylogenetic position with respect to other taxa. We describe these three specimens as a new genus containing two new species. Cryptomyrus, new genus, is readily distinguished from all other mormyrid genera by a combination of features of squamation, morphometrics, and dental attributes. Cryptomyrus ogoouensis, new species, is differentiated from its single congener, Cryptomyrus ona, new species, by the possession of an anal-fin origin located well in advance of the dorsal fin, a narrow caudal peduncle and caudal-fin lobes nearly as long as the peduncle. In C. ona, the anal-fin origin is located only slightly in advance of the dorsal fin, the caudal peduncle is deep and the caudal-fin lobes considerably shorter than the peduncle. Continued discovery of new taxa within the \“Lower Guinea Clade\” of Mormyridae highlights the incompleteness of our knowledge of fish diversity in West-Central Africa. We present a revised key to the mormyrid genera of Lower Guinea.

R\ésum\é
Nous avons d\émontr\é avec des marqueurs mitochondriaux et nucl\éaires que trois sp\écimens de poissons mormyrid\és faiblement \électriques, collect\és \à trois localit\és au Gabon sur une p\ériode de 13 ans, forment une lign\ée inconnue au sein de la sous famille des Mormyrinae dont nous avons d\étermin\é la position phylog\én\étique. Nous d\écrivons un nouveau genre et deux nouvelles esp\èces pour ces trois sp\écimens. Cryptomyrus, nouveau genre, se distingue des autres genres de mormyrid\és par une combinaison de caract\ères de l\’\écaillure, morphom\étriques, et dentaires. Cryptomyrus ogoouensis, nouvelle esp\èce, se distingue de sa seule esp\èce cong\én\érique par sa nageoire anale qui commence nettement en avant de sa nageoire dorsale, son p\édoncule caudal gracile et les lobes de sa nageoire caudale pratiquement aussi longs que son p\édoncule caudal. Chez Cryptomyrus ona, nouvelle esp\èce, la nageoire anale commence l\ég\èrement en avant de l\’origine de la nageoire dorsale, le p\édoncule caudal est large, et les lobes de la nageoire caudale sont plus courts que le p\édoncule caudal. La d\écouverte ininterrompue de nouveaux taxa dans le \«clade de basse Guin\ée\» des Mormyridae illustre notre connaissance incompl\ète de la diversit\é des poissons de l\’ouest de l\’Afrique centrale. Nous pr\ésentons une cl\é r\évis\ée des genres de Mormyridae de basse Guin\ée.

}, keywords = {African freshwater fishes, DNA, electric organ discharge, EOD, integrative taxonomy, Mormyrinae, phylogeny, rarity, weakly electric fish}, issn = {1313-2989}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.561.7137}, url = {http://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=7137}, author = {John P Sullivan and S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e} and Carl D Hopkins} } @unpublished {472, title = {Fish detector schematics}, year = {2015}, publisher = {Hopkins Lab, Dept. of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University}, address = {Ithaca, NY}, author = {Heiligenberg, W. and John P Sullivan} }