@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} }