@article {662, title = {Morphometric synthesis of Pollimyrus (Teleostei, Mormyridae) with the description of four new species}, journal = {Journal of Fish Biology}, volume = {2024}, year = {2024}, month = {Nov-24-2024}, pages = {1-47}, abstract = {

Mormyridae, a species-rich family endemic to Africa, remains taxonomically understudied. This has been the case for the genus Pollimyrus Taverne, 1971, which hinders further understanding of the distribution, ecology, and conservation of its species. Therefore, an in-depth morphometric comparison of all currently valid species is carried out using most of the available type specimens. Species delineations were re-evaluated, and four species new to science described: Pollimyrus ibalazambai sp. nov. (the Luki River, the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Pollimyrus krameri sp. nov. (the Lugenda River, Mozambique), Pollimyrus vanneeri sp. nov. (the Kouilou-Niari River, the Republic of the Congo), and Pollimyrus weyli sp. nov. (the Buzi River, Mozambique). In this study, Pollimyrus guttatus is confirmed to belong to Pollimyrus, whereas Pollimyrus eburneensis and Cyphomyrus plagiostoma seem more similar to species allocated to other genera. No or only little morphological differences were found between the type series of several species, which could indicate the need for synonymization of these species (Pollimyrus cuandoensis with Pollimyrus marianne and Pollimyrus nigripinnis with Pollimyrus pulverulentus). As such 20 species are currently morphologically identifiable in the genus Pollimyrus. The present study highlights the critical need for further synthetic efforts and new collecting efforts across Africa for this and other Mormyridae genera.

}, keywords = {morphology, Pollimyrus ibalazambai sp. nov., Pollimyrus krameri sp. nov., Pollimyrus vanneeri sp. nov., Pollimyrus weyli sp. nov., Taxonomy}, issn = {0022-1112, 1095-8649}, doi = {10.1111/jfb.15983}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15983}, author = {Dierickx, Katrien and Wamuini Lunkayilakio, Soleil and Bills, Roger and Vreven, Emmanuel} } @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 {585, title = {Sound Production and Reproductive Ecology of Strongly Acoustic Fish in Africa: Pollimyrus isidori, Mormyridae}, journal = {Behaviour}, volume = {134}, year = {1997}, month = {Jan-01-1997}, pages = {677 - 725}, abstract = {

We have studied the reproductive ecology and bioacoustic signals of weakly electric mormyrid fish in Africa in order to discover the natural conditions under which acoustic signals are used and to gain insight into the evolution of their acoustic behaviour and hearing. Pollimyrus\ isidori migrated from a tributary of the Niger River (Mali) into a shallow (2- 3 m) flood plain during the onset of the flooding seasons (August, 1991 and 1994). The\ fish were fully primed for reproduction upon entering the plain, females were significantly larger than males, and the sex ratio was skewed toward males (about 2 males per female). Males established territories (d \≈ 1 m) within the roots of floating rafts of grasses, about 0.5 m below the water surface. Males produced conspicuous acoustic displays consisting of Grunts and Moans during the night (130 dB peak re 1 \μLPaat approximately 10 cm). These sounds had a fundamental of 340 Hz, but the band-width of the grunt extended to over 3 kHz. Experiments at the field site with captive animals showed that male sound production was stimulated by the presence of conspecific females. The P. isidori repertoire included 3 additional sounds. Analysis of environmental noise showed that these communication sounds fall within a distinct spectral window, thereby minimizing potential interference from other aquatic animals and abiotic noise sources. Waveform analyses showed that the sounds remained coherent over short distances (0.5 m) but lost amplitude more rapidly than would be predicted in a deep water free-field.

}, doi = {10.1163/156853997X00034}, url = {https://brill.com/view/journals/beh/134/9-10/article-p677_3.xmlhttps://data.brill.com/files/journals/1568539x_134_09-10_s003_text.pdf}, author = {Benech, Vincent and Jacob, Philippe and Crawford, John D.} } @article {547, title = {New insights into the molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of mormyrids (Osteoglossiformes, Actinopterygii) in northern East Africa}, journal = {Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research}, year = {2017}, month = {Feb-09-2019}, abstract = {

Based on morphological data and analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and nuclear (S7 intron 1) DNA sequences, the phylogenetic relationships of all Pollimyrus species known from the Omo-Turkana enclosed basin and Nile system below the Murchison Falls were solved. A mormyrid \“Pollimyrus\” petherici is distantly related to all other studied Pollimyrus species and clusters together with Cyphomyrus species forming with the later a monophyletic group. Moreover, the West African (but not the Congo River) populations of Cyphomyrus psittacus, the type species of the genus, seem to be conspecific to C. petherici. That is, the range of the genus Cyphomyrus is extended toward the Nile and Omo-Turkana basins. This genus belongs to the large clade widely distributed in sub-Saharian Africa and characterized by the presence of a chin appendage. Significance of this character for mormyrid phylogeny is discussed. Two distinct lineages of Pollimyrus occurring sympatrically in the White Nile tributaries and previously reported as the light and dark forms of Pollimyrus isidori together with five other congeneric species studied form a monophyletic group. The light form apparently represents P. isidori distributed in the Nile system downstream of the Murchison Falls and West Africa; the dark-colored form (designated as Pollimyrus \“D\”) represents a distinct phylogenetic lineage inhabiting both the Omo-Turkana and the White Nile basin. Morphological and ecological data suggest that this form may be conspecific to East African Pollimyrus nigricans or most probably represents a new species.

}, doi = {10.1111/jzs.12186}, url = {http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/jzs.12186}, author = {Levin, Boris A. and Alexander Golubtsov} } @article {510, title = {Contribution a l{\textquoteright}{\'e}tude de la faune ichthyologique du bassin du fleuve S{\'e}n{\'e}gal. III. Mormyridae}, journal = {Bulletin de l{\textquoteright}Institut Fran{\c c}ais d{\textquoteright}Afrique Noire}, volume = {35}, year = {1973}, pages = {665-704}, chapter = {665}, author = {Reizer, C. and Mattei, X. and Chevalier, J.L.} }