Chapter 14 - Radiation of Characiform Fishes: Evidence from Mitochondrial and Nuclear DNA Sequences

Abstract

This chapter illustrates a few representative characiform taxa and summarizes molecular phylogenetic studies of characiform fishes, based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data. It compares data sets comprising increasing levels of taxonomic divergence among closely related species and genera of “piranhas” and “pacus” within the subfamily Serrasalminae, among subfamilies within the family Characidae, among families of Characiformes, and among orders of Ostariophysans The first part of the chapter presents phylogenetic hypotheses derived from each data set and discusses their validity based on comparative analyses of base substitution patterns. It presents phylogenies obtained from analysis of a nuclear protein-coding gene: ependymin. This gene codes for a major glycoprotein component of the extracellular fluid in the brain of fishes. Finally, a short discussion of the systematic and biogeographic implications of the phylogenetic results is included. It only reviews the most significant phylogenetic results obtained in the evidence from ependymin sequences and provides evidence obtained from mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA) sequences for; various mt DNA data sets; compensatory mutations; and phylogenetic relationships among Serrasalmin genera, characiform families, and Ostariophysan orders.