Unraveling the diversity and origins of the genus Characidium (Characiformes: Crenuchidae) in the Neotropical region: a study of Systematics and Biogeography with a genomic and integrative approach

• Grant number: 23/09871-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: January 01, 2024
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Claudio de Oliveira
• Grantee: Leonardo Oliveira Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/13433-6 - Phylogeny and molecular identification of fishes of the superorder Ostariophysi (Chordata: Actinopterygii) using genomic approaches, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/16565-1 - Phylogenomics of trans-andean darters (Crenuchidae: Characidium) and investigation of biogeographic patterns and cryptic diversity, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Characidium, a genus of freshwater fish endemic to the Neotropical region, is the most representative of the family Crenuchidae, with 85 species. In 1993, a morphological phylogenetic analysis included 18 species and indicated the genus as monophyletic. Since then, 46 new species have been described, but most have never been included in a phylogenetic study. In 2011, a molecular study raised doubts about the monophyly of the genus, but it has not been confirmed to date. There is also a scarcity of studies on the evolutionary history and the processes that led to the current distribution of the genus in South America. The total richness of the genus is still unknown, as most specimens in scientific collections are only identified at the genus level. Problems with species delimitation within the genus are reported in the literature, where the use of solely morphological approaches does not result in a conclusive definition of the taxonomic and geographic limits of several species. Integrative studies combining morphological and molecular data are needed to delimit taxonomically problematic Characidium species and describe new species. The proposed postdoctoral project aims to address and solve the phylogenetic, biogeographic, and most of the taxonomic open questions involving Characidium using genomic data (UCEs) and molecular data from Sanger sequencing integrated with morphological data. The results will be important for understanding the evolution and taxonomy of the genus, assisting in the knowledge of Brazilian biodiversity and species conservation.

Scientific publications

(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)

ZANATA, ANGELA MARIA; OLIVEIRA, CLAUDIO; OLIVEIRA-SILVA, LEONARDO. Integrative taxonomy reveals a new species of Characidium (Characiformes: Crenuchidae) shared by tributaries of upper Tapajos and Xingu river basins, Brazil. Journal of Fish Biology, v. N/A, p. 10-pg., 2024-09-22. (20/13433-6, 11/50282-7, 23/09871-6)

OLIVEIRA-SILVA, LEONARDO; BATALHA-FILHO, HENRIQUE; CAMELIER, PRISCILA; ZANATA, ANGELA M.. Underestimated diversity in Characidium (Characiformes: Crenuchidae) from Neotropical rivers revealed by an integrative approach. SYSTEMATICS AND BIODIVERSITY, v. 22, n. 1, p. 23-pg., 2024-12-31. (23/09871-6)