The identity of Barbus capensis Smith, 1841 and the generic status of southern African tetraploid cyprinids (Teleostei, Cyprinidae)

Paul H Skelton,Emmanuel J Vreven,Ernst R Swartz

doi:10.5852/ejt.2018.410

Abstract

The identity of Barbus capensis, as described by Andrew Smith (1841), is reviewed following a careful examination of the lectotype in the Natural History Museum, London. Evidence shows clearly that it represents a specimen of the Berg-Breede River whitefish or ‘witvis’ and not the species known as the Clanwilliam yellowfish, to which it was attributed until recently. The original illustration of the species is shown to be a composite of these two different species. A replacement name for the Clanwilliam yellowfish is drawn from the earliest described synonym, Labeobarbus seeberi (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1913). Following widespread recognition that the genus Barbus Daudin, 1805 does not occur in sub-Saharan Africa, the generic status of the Berg-Breede River whitefish (witvis) and other tetraploid cyprinines of southern Africa is reviewed, taking genetic and morphological characters into account. Five distinct lineages, each representing a genus, are recognized, including the genera Pseudobarbus Smith, 1841 and Cheilobarbus Smith, 1841, and three new genera described herein: Amatolacypris gen. nov., Sedercypris gen. nov. and Namaquacypris gen. nov.

Highlights

The advent of molecular phylogenetic analyses and genomics has rapidly improved the understanding of interrelationships of fishes in large diverse orders like the Cypriniformes (Mayden et al 2008, 2009; Conway et al 2010; Saitoh et al 2011)
Evidence shows clearly that it represents a specimen of the Berg-Breede River whitefish or ‘witvis’ and not the species known as the Clanwilliam yellowfish, to which it was attributed until recently
Scientific explorations in colonial times often resulted in weak taxonomy and large genera that mask species relationships under a cover of general similarity

Summary

Introduction

The advent of molecular phylogenetic analyses and genomics has rapidly improved the understanding of interrelationships of fishes in large diverse orders like the Cypriniformes (Mayden et al 2008, 2009; Conway et al 2010; Saitoh et al 2011). The type specimens and their attached African species names, derived from early colonial-era explorations, reside mostly in the large museums of European nations This has obstructed the easy resolution of such outsized genera, as well as the identities and relationships of numerous species, by subsequent generations of researchers in home countries. The emergence of modern technologies for analytics and communication is helping to overcome these limitations, and the resultant taxonomic convulsions are widespread This situation is typical for a number of African freshwater fish genera, and in this study we seek to disentangle the deep-rooted and historical taxonomic confusion of a distinct clade of African cyprinids

Methods

Results

Conclusion