Integrating morphological and molecular data in the taxonomic and phylogenetic study of the miniature fish Priocharax Weitzman & Vari (Teleostei, Characiformes, Characidae)

• Grant number: 17/01970-4
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2017
• End date: October 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: George Mendes Taliaferro Mattox
• Grantee: George Mendes Taliaferro Mattox
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Humanas e Biológicas (CCHB). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Sorocaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Claudio de Oliveira ; Flávio César Thadeo de Lima ; Manoela Maria Marinho Koh ; Mônica de Toledo-Piza Ragazzo ; Ralf Britz
• Associated research grant(s): 18/22592-0 - Live fast, die young in the Amazon: testing life history predictions for the Amazon's smallest vertebrates through international collaboration between TAMU and UFSCar, AP.R SPRINT
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/00680-6 - INTEGRATING MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR DATA IN THE TAXONOMIC AND PHYLOGENETIC STUDY OF THE MINIATURE FISH PRIOCHARAX WEITZMAN & VARI (TELEOSTEI, CHARACIFORMES, CHARACIDAE), BP.JC; 24/00676-9 - INTEGRATING MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR DATA IN THE TAXONOMIC AND PHYLOGENETIC STUDY OF THE MINIATURE FISH PRIOCHARAX WEITZMAN & VARI (TELEOSTEI, CHARACIFORMES, CHARACIDAE), BP.JC; 18/05755-3 - Collection, sorting and identification of miniature Amazonian fish for morphological and molecular studies, BP.TT

Abstract

The Neotropical region harbors the most diverse freshwater ichthyofauna in the world, with many diminutive forms. Miniature fishes are those whose adults do not grow over 26 mm of standard length and include more than 210 Neotropical species, a third in the family Characidae. Priocharax is a genus from the Amazon with three of the smallest characids known, characterized mainly by the retention of the larval pectoral fin in adults. Priocharax was proposed as closely related to the subfamily Heterocharacinae, but the relations among the genera in this subfamily are yet to be tested in light of new evidence including the molecular approach. The amount of samples of Priocharax in collections has considerably increased, revealing new records and morphological variations that allow recognizing additional undescribed species. However, due to its inherent fragility, freshly collected and adequately preserved samples are needed for a proper morphological study since old specimens deposited in museums lose scales, colour and decalcify, impeding a detailed morphological approach. I herein propose seven fieldtrips to localities of confirmed records of Priocharax in order to have properly preserved material for osteological and other morphological studies, compilation of a tissue collection of all species, in addition to photographs of the live fish and their localities. Tissue samples will be incorporated to others already available, allowing a DNA barcode study to complement the taxonomic investigation, and an approach using six molecular markers to access the phylogenetic relationships of Priocharax at intra- and intergeneric levels. (AU)

Scientific publications

(9)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

JOSHUAH S. PERKIN; CARMEN G. MONTAÑA; ESTEBAN J. NOGUEIRA; BIANCA B. BRANDÃO; GEORGE M. T. MATTOX; KEVIN W. CONWAY. Estimated richness and environmental correlates of miniature fish assemblages in the rio Jacundá, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyology, v. 20, n. 2, 2022-05-11. (17/01970-4, 18/22592-0)

MATTOX, GEORGE M. T.; SOUZA, CAMILA S.; TOLEDO-PIZA, MONICA; BRITZ, RALF; OLIVEIRA, CLAUDIO. A new miniature species of Priocharax (Teleostei: Characiformes: Characidae) from the Rio Madeira drainage, Brazil, with comments on the adipose fin in characiforms. VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY, v. 70, n. 3, p. 17-pg., 2020-01-01. (16/09204-6, 14/26508-3, 17/01970-4, 18/20610-1, 17/06551-0)

MATTOX, GEORGE M. T.; CONWAY, KEVIN W.. Osteology of Tucanoichthys tucano Gery and Ramer, an enigmatic miniature fish from the Amazon basin, Brazil (Teleostei: Characiformes: Characidae). VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY, v. 71, p. 645-667, OCT 18 2021. (18/22592-0, 17/01970-4)

SOUZA, CAMILA S.; MATTOX, GEORGE M. T.; VITA, GEORGE; OCHOA, LUZ E.; MELO, BRUNO F.; OLIVEIRA, CLAUDIO. Molecular species delimitation and description of a new species of Phenacogaster (Teleostei, Characidae) from the southern Amazon basin. ZOOKEYS, v. N/A, n. 1164, p. 21-pg., 2023-05-26. (16/09204-6, 18/20610-1, 14/26508-3, 17/01970-4, 17/06551-0, 18/23883-9, 16/11313-8)

SOUZA, CAMILA S.; MELO, BRUNO F.; MATTOX, GEORGE M. T.; OLIVEIRA, CLAUDIO. Phylogenomic analysis of the Neotropical fish subfamily Characinae using ultraconserved elements (Teleostei: Characidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, v. 171, p. 11-pg., 2022-04-04. (17/01970-4, 16/09204-6, 19/04602-1, 18/23883-9, 18/20610-1, 14/26508-3, 16/11313-8, 17/06551-0)

MATTOX, GEORGE M. T.; CETRA, MAURICIO; SOUZA, CAMILA S.; OYAKAWA, OSVALDO T.; BENTO, RODRIGO M. M.; OLIVEIRA, CLAUDIO. Spintherobolus papilliferus in the rio Ribeira de Iguape basin: implications for the biogeography and conservation of an endangered species (Ostariophysi: Characiformes). Neotropical Ichthyology, v. 21, n. 2, p. 19-pg., 2023-01-01. (17/01970-4, 20/13433-6, 17/25860-3)

MATTOX, GEORGE M. T.; BRITZ, RALF; SOUZA, CAMILA S.; CASAS, ANDRE L. S.; LIMA, FLAVIO C. T.; OLIVEIRA, CLAUDIO. Two new species of miniature tetras of the fish genus Priocharax from the Rio Juru? drainage, Acre, Brazil (Teleostei: Characiformes: Characidae). CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, v. N/A, p. 19-pg., 2023-02-10. (17/01970-4, 13/20936-0, 11/51532-7, 20/13433-6)

MATTOX, GEORGE M. T.; KUBICEK, KOLE M.; BRITZ, RALF. Notes on the skeletal anatomy of Priocharax ariel Weitzman & Vari, 1987 with implications for its taxonomy (Teleostei: Characiformes). Zootaxa, v. 5138, n. 5, p. 3-pg., 2022-05-20. (17/01970-4)

BRITZ, RALF; MATTOX, GEORGE M. T.; CONWAY, KEVIN W.. The quadrate-metapterygoid fenestra of otophysan fishes, its development and homology. VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY, v. 73, p. 21-pg., 2023-01-23. (17/01970-4)