Molecular phylogeny of the blind cavefish Phreatichthys andruzzii and Garra barreimiae within the family Cyprinidae

Licia Colli, Annalisa Paglianti, Roberto Berti, Gilberto Gandolfi, James Tagliavini

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The phylogenetic relationships of two cavefish, Phreatichthys andruzzii and Garra barreimiae, belonging to the family Cyprinidae, were investigated by sequencing the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. These cavefish species are native to Somalia (eastern Africa) and Oman (southeastern Arabian peninsula), respectively, and so far no molecular support to their taxonomy and phylogenetic position was ever provided. The analysis of cytochrome b sequences showed that the species are monophyletic taxa, closely related to each other and to other species of the genus Garra. Molecular clock calculations allowed to date the origin of these hypogaean species back to the Plio-Pleistocene and support the hypothesis that African cyprinids originated from Miocenic immigrations of Asian ancestors.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)95-107
Number of pages13
JournalEnvironmental Biology of Fishes
Volume84
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009

Keywords

  • Cyprinids
  • Cytochrome b
  • Garra barreimiae
  • Phreatichthys andruzzii
  • Troglomorphic fish

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Molecular phylogeny of the blind cavefish Phreatichthys andruzzii and Garra barreimiae within the family Cyprinidae'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this