Heterochrony and miniaturization: a comparative study of ontogeny in the Characidae (Teleostei: Characiformes)

• Grant number: 14/11911-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: September 01, 2014
• End date: August 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Naercio Aquino Menezes
• Grantee: Manoela Maria Marinho Koh
• Host Institution: Museu de Zoologia (MZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Two hundred and thirteen miniature fish species are listed for the Neotropical region, of which, 67 belong to the family Characidae. Miniature species are frequently associated with reductive morphological characters, which are commonly found in the Characidae, such as reduction in the laterosensory canal system of head and body, and reduction in the number of scales. Such reductions are probably the result of loss of terminal stages of a given character or of a character complex (truncation) in ontogeny, possibly due to heterochronic processes involved in the evolution of miniature fishes. Paedomorphosis may be the best interpretation of skeletal reducion in adults, but this can only be corrobotated by ontogenetic studies. There is no study aiming to understand the processes that have led to the evolution of small characids lineages till now. This project is the first attempt to describe the ontogenetic develoment of a miniature characid Paracheirodon innesi, and a medium-sized Moenkhausia pittieri, and to compare them to the development of Salminus brasiliensis, a basal, large-sized characid species. Such approach allows to detect significatives changes in the development of these three taxa (heterochony), and to establish an ontogenetic pattern of development for the family. It will be possible to see if there are osteological truncations in the development of Paracheirodon, and if so, which complexes are involved. This study will help to understand the appropriate use of reductive characters in phylogenetic studies of the Characidae. (AU)

Scientific publications

(8)

(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)

DAGOSTA, FERNANDO C. P.; MARINHO, MANOELA M. F.. A new species of Moenkhausia Eigenmann (Characiformes: Characidae) from the rio Arinos basin, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyology, v. 14, n. 2, 2016. (11/23419-1, 14/11911-7, 11/50282-7)

OHARA, WILLIAM M.; MARINHO, MANOELA M. F.. A new species of Moenkhausia Eigenmann (Characiformes: Characidae) from the upper rio Machado at Chapada dos Parecis, rio Madeira basin, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyology, v. 14, n. 1, 2016. (13/22473-8, 14/11911-7, 11/50282-7)

MARINHO, MANOELA M. F.; LANGEANI, FRANCISCO. Reconciling more than 150 years of taxonomic confusion: the true identity of Moenkhausia lepidura, with a key to the species of the M-lepidura group (Characiformes: Characidae). Zootaxa, v. 4107, n. 3, p. 338-352, MAY 3 2016. (09/15075-0, 14/11911-7)

CAMELIER, P.; DAGOSTA, F. C. P.; MARINHO, M. M. F.. New remarkable sexually dimorphic miniature species of Hyphessobrycon (Characiformes: Characidae) from the upper Rio Tapajos basin. Journal of Fish Biology, v. 92, n. 4, p. 1149-1162, APR 2018. (11/23419-1, 16/03966-1, 11/50282-7, 14/11911-7, 16/07246-3, 12/00840-6)

DE CARVALHO DEPRA, GABRIEL; AZEVEDO-SANTOS, VALTER M.; VITORINO JUNIOR, OSCAR BARROSO; PAIVA DAGOSTA, FERNANDO CESAR; FERREIRA MARINHO, MANOELA MARIA; BENINE, RICARDO C.. Moenkhausia goya (Characiformes: Characidae): a new species from the upper rio Tocantins basin, Central Brazil. Zootaxa, v. 4514, n. 1, p. 87-96, NOV 6 2018. (14/11911-7, 16/07246-3)

ROSA DE MORAES, RENATA LUIZA; CARLOS BERTOLLO, LUIZ ANTONIO; FERREIRA MARINHO, MANOELA MARIA; YANO, CASSIA FERNANDA; HATANAKA, TERUMI; BARBY, FELIPE FAIX; TROY, WALDO PINHEIRO; CIOFFI, MARCELO DE BELLO. Evolutionary Relationships and Cytotaxonomy Considerations in the Genus Pyrrhulina (Characiformes, Lebiasinidae). ZEBRAFISH, v. 14, n. 6, p. 536-546, DEC 2017. (16/21411-7, 14/11911-7, 15/26322-0)

OLIVEIRA, GUSTAVO D.; MARINHO, MANOELA M. F.. A new species of Moenkhausia Eigenmann, 1903 (Characiformes, Characidae) from the rio Amazonas basin, Brazil. Zootaxa, v. 4093, n. 4, p. 566-574, MAR 24 2016. (14/11911-7)

FERREIRA MARINHO, M. M.. Comparative development in Moenkhausia pittieri and Paracheirodon innesi (Ostariophysi: Characiformes) with comments on heterochrony and miniaturization in the Characidae. Journal of Fish Biology, v. 91, n. 3, p. 851-865, SEP 2017. (14/11911-7)