Special Symposium: International Workshop on Enhancing Freshwater Fish Biodiversity Research in Africa

17-21 November 2008

Rhodes University and South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity

Grahamstown, South Africa

Abstracts

Michael H Doosey*¹, Henry L Bart, Jr¹ and Kenji Saitoh²

¹ Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA70118, USA and Tulane University Museum of Natural History, Belle Chasse, LA 70037, USA; ² National Research Institute of Fisheries Science, Aquatic Genomics Research Center, Yokohama 236-8648, JAPAN. E-mail: ksaitoh@affrc.go.jp

Systematics of Catostomidae (Cypriniformes) based on Mitochondrial ND4/ND5 Gene Sequences (poster presentation)

Abstract: Family Catostomidae (Cypriniformes) is a diverse group of benthic fresh water fishes that are distributed across North America and Asia. Catostomid relationships have been inferred from diverse character sets (e.g. molecular, biochemical, morphology, behavior) by previous researchers. In this study the phylogenetic relationships of Catostomidae is examined using mitochondrial ND4 and ND5 protein coding genes. Catostomidae and its four subfamilies are found to be monophyletic; however, the relationships of the subfamilies are equivocal. Relationships of many genera and species groups are similar to previous hypotheses. ND4 and ND5 genes have better phylogenetic utility for determining catostomid relationships than cytochrome b.

Keywords: Phylogenetics, mtDNA

Alice Ekwu

Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, University of Uyo, Nigeria

Observations of Heterotis niloticus in Cross River basin: an introduced species (poster presentation)

Abstract: Heterotis niloticus (Cuvier), a purely freshwater species of the Ostariophysian group, is found naturally occurring in Northern Nigerian waters in swamps, creeks, rivers, lakes and reservoirs. The species was accidentally introduced into to cross River Basin, close to the Altantic coastal zone in South Eastern Nigeria, in 1992. Since then, the species has exhibited tremendous success in the area, dominating the catches of the inland waters, contributing about 50% of the total fresh fish landings in some places, when in season. Highest body weight recorded was 8kg and length of 1.2 meters (Highest length and weight reported in Northern Nigeria waters was 1 meter and 6kg, respectively). The success of this species in the Cross River basin is attributed to the high primary productivity of the area, since it is a planktivorous species. A total of 63 species of Algae with total cell density of 1.17 x 10³ cells/L (Dry season) have been observed in the Cross River. Also, highly reduced conspecific and heterospcific competition in the face of high abundance of resources may contribute immensely to the success of the species in the basin. Highest abundance of H. niloticus was observed in the months of September to November (end of rainy season into the dry season), each annual cycle. In their indigenous habitat of Northern Nigeria, however, highest abundance is from June to August each year (rainy season), with rising river level. Further research on the possible displacement of other species by H. niloticus and alteration of the gene pool in the Cross River basin is desirable.

Key words: Abundance, Basin, Cross River, Heterotis niloticus

Thomas Vigliotta¹, John Friel¹*, Alfred Thomson², & Rashid Tamatamah³

¹Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates, Ithaca, New York, 14850 USA; ²Alfred Thomson, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611 USA; ³Rashid Tamatamah, Department of Fisheries Science and Aquaculture, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania

Ichthyofaunal Survey of the Rivers of the Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania (poster presentation)

Abstract: Between 8 September and 4 October 2007, we conducted a preliminary survey of fish species in several rivers draining the Eastern Arc Mountains of coastal Tanzania, including the Umba, Sigi, Pangani, Ruvu, Wami and Ruaha/Rufiji River basins. The Eastern Arc Mountains are renowned for a high level of endemicity among plants and terrestrial animals and are considered one of the world's top conservation "hot spots." Despite early exploration of this area during both British and German colonial periods, the ichthyofauna of this important region is still poorly known. A total of 29 field sites were sampled, with an emphasis on fast flowing streams arising in the Usambara, Uluguru and Udzungwa Mountains, individual ranges within the Eastern Arc Mountains. We employed a variety of methods to collect fishes including seines, cast nets, dip nets and an electroshocker. Approximately 75 species of fishes, from 17 families, were collected. Rheophilic catfishes like Chiloglanis (Mochokidae) and Amphilius (Amphiliidae), as well as species of Labeo, Garra and Barbus (Cyprinidae) are particularly well represented in these collections. Preliminary assessments of the material indicate the presence of several new species, including but not limited to the families Amphiliidae, Mochokidae, Cichlidae, and Mormyridae. The limited sampling of this vast area and its conservation significance strongly suggest that further collecting efforts are necessary to accurately and thoroughly document the fishes of this region. Specimens and associated tissue samples are deposited at the Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates and Florida Museum of Natural History.

Keywords: Tanzania, Amphiliidae, Mochokidae, Cichlidae, Mormyridae,

Philippe Lalèyè

Laboratory of Hydrobiology and Aquaculture/University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou Bénin

Diversity and Status of Fish Biodiversity in the Oueme river basin, Bénin (poster presentation)

Abstract: Study of the fish fauna of Oueme river basin stated since 1999 permitted to inventory 124 species of fish distributed in 87 genera belonging to 51 families. The mormyrids are the most numerous with 12 species (10 % of the ichthyofauna). Following by the cichlids, characids, cyprinids and gobiids with respectively 10, 8, 7 and 6 species. The clariids, cyprinodontids and eleotrids are represented each with 5 species. Thirty species belonging to 20 families are typically marines or estuarines. Twenty five species (belonging to 17 families) are added to the fish list known up to now for the river. Fish richness is unequally distributed along the river. The lower course of the basin represented by Agonlin Lowe and Toue is by far the richest (Agonlin Lowe, 71 species, = 59.2% of the total ichthyofauna; Toue, 67 species, = 55.8% ichtyofauna). This zone concerns a vast floodplain whose ecological characteristics favour this important colonization by fish. The stations upstream and on the central course of the river, represented by Kpassa and Atchakpa have the lowest number of species (47 and 46 species respectively). The factors that threaten the fish diversity of the Oueme river basin include mainly degradation of fish habitats due to some human activities or to climate perturbations and over exploitation.

Keywords: Ichthyofauna, Benin, Ouémé basin, Biodiversity

Paula Mabee*, Ericka Grey, Jeff Engeman

Dept. of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, USA

Patterns of evolutionary change in cypriniform fishes: Gill arch development & evolution (poster presentation)

Abstract: Our focus within the Cypriniformes Tree of Life (CToL) is the comparative morphology and development of the gill arches, with a long-term interest in understanding the developmental genetic mechanisms underlying the evolutionary variation in their number, size and shape. We surveyed skeletal variation in the arches in 65 characters over the 59 species previously examined by Saitoh et al. (2006). Our morphologically based trees, though poorly resolved, are concordant with Saitoh et al.’s molecular trees. We documented morphology with digital images that were uploaded to the CToL Portal and annotated with ontology terms. These were later moved to Morphbank.net, a community image repository, for permanent storage, retrieval, and reference. Because the images are linked to Teleost Anatomy Ontology (TAO) IDs, the definition and relationships of each character can be ascertained. The TAO is cross-referenced to the Zebrafish Information Network database, which contains developmental data for skeletal elements in zebrafish gill arches, and thus such disparate data (morphology-genetics) can be traversed. In order to better understand patterns of character evolution, we studied the developmental morphology of gill arches in the catostomid cypriniform, Catostomus commersonii. We found qualitatively variable gill arch elements such as pharyngobranchial 1, pharyngobranchial 4 and the sublingual, are the last to chondrify. The sublingual in C. commersonii has two cartilaginous precursors that fuse and ossify to form the single bone in adults. This suggests homology of the sublingual in catostomids to the two sublingual bones of cobitids and balitorids. Intriguing patterns of fusion and segmentation of the cartilages were discovered including the individuation of the basihyal and anterior copula through segmentation, fusion of basibranchials 4 and 5, and fusion of hypobranchial 4 with ceratobranchial 4. Such “fluidity” in cartilage patterning may be widespread in fishes and requires further comparative developmental studies.

Keywords: Cypriniformes, development, evolution, Catostomus commersonii, morphology

Paula Mabee¹*, Jim Balhoff², Wasila Dahdul^1,2, Hilmar Lapp², John Lundberg³, Peter Midford⁴, Todd Vision^2,5, Monte Westerfield⁶

¹Dept. of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, USA; ²National Evolutionary Synthesis Center; ³: Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia; ⁴University of Kansas; ⁵University of North Carolina; ⁶University of Oregon Zebrafish Information Network (zfin.org)

PHENOSCAPE: Morphology linked to genes using ontologies (oral presentation, Expanding Biodiversity Research Resources in African Countries)

Abstract: Although systematists have collected comparative morphological data for decades, it has been rendered in free-form text and is not computable. Even seemingly straightforward comparisons across taxa, such as examining evolutionary patterns of characters from the same body region (e.g. head) or of the same quality (e.g. shape changes), cannot be made broadly without a database and some means of computation. Ontologies, or structured vocabularies with semantically defined relationships, provide such means and facilitate integration with other databases, including genetics databases from model organisms. Using ostariophysan fishes, we are prototyping a system "Phenoscape" with an ontology-based character database and generalizable tools to integrate evolutionary and model organism phenotype data. This system is designed to meet the top-priority needs of the evolutionary community concerning development and evolution of morphology. These include mapping characters on trees and identification of clades in which traits vary (quick retrieval of character state distributions), correlation matrices of traits, identification of candidate genes, and a phenotypic BLAST search to discover taxa with similar characters. Such queries will help address large-scale questions about the genetic and developmental regulation of evolutionary morphological transitions.

Keywords: Informatics, zebrafish, cypriniformes, morphology, genetics

A. Manimekalan^*, and R.S.C. Jayaraj

Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore, INDIA

Diversity and distribution of fishes of Periyar Tiger Reserve, Southern India (poster presentation)

Abstract: Periyar Tiger Reserve is one of the 27 tiger reserves in India, located in the Western Ghats in Idukki District of Kerala state in India. The terrain of the Reserve is undulating and the drainage is dendrite. North-eastern boundary of the Reserve is a ridge, which also forms the boundary between Kerala and Tamil Nadu states for 90 km. The protected area covers an area of 777 km², out of which a 350 km² part of the core zone was made into the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve. The rivers Periyar, Mullaiyar, Pamba and Azhutha drain through Periyar reserve. River Periyar originates from Chokkampathy hills and there are several large streams coming from Sundarmala and Chokkampathy and they the Periyar river. Periyar and Mullaiyar join together at Mulaikudy. Azhutha river is part of Periyar Tiger reserve and joins with Pamba river and flows downstream. Pamba river has its catchment mostly in the Ranni division where there are two dams to impound water for power generation. Survey was conducted in 14 sites to know the distribution and diversity of fishes of Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala. A total of 51 species were collected belonging to 7 orders, 16 families and 28 genera. Among the 51 species Cyprinidae is the dominant family with 38 species (69.9%) compared to other families. Among the 51 species the fishes mahseer, Tor khudree is famous as a game fish. The three species Lepidopygopsis typus, Crossocheilis periyarensis and Puntius micropogan periyarensis are exclusively endemic to Periyar Tiger Reserve. The maximum species richness (S) and diversity (H’) was observed in Ummikuppan thodu (S-14; H’.95) followed by Vaikkaparappu thodu (13; 0.93), Thanikudi (10; 0.85), Natuthodam estate (10; 0.85) and Confluence of Puducheri thodu and Pamba river (10; 0.81) river. Low species richness and diversity was observed in Vaganalla thodu (3, 0.45). Four exotic species (Hypophthalmicthys molitrix, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Clarius gariepinus, and Oreochromis mossambica (Peters) were recorded in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The distributions of all the four exotic species were restricted to the reservoir at present. Clarius gariepinus is the one of the major catch and has started interbreeding with native clarids.

Keywords: Periyar Tiger Reserve, Cyprinids, endemic, Western Ghats, India

Donnielle Minor

Dillard University, Natural Science Department, New Orleans, Louisiana USA

Phylogenetic Systematics of Leuciscinae Inferred from Growth Hormone Sequence Data (poster presentation)

Abstract: The anatomical characters possessed by the subfamily Leuciscinae of family Cyprinidae make it very unlikely that they can be recognized as monophyletic. Growth hormone sequence data were researched to assess if all leuciscines indigenous to North America were monophyletic separately from those indigenous to Eurasia.

Using the full length GH DNA sequences, phylogenetic trees were produced which suggested that North American (NA) leuciscines are not monophyletic separately from those indigenous to Eurasia (E). A maximum likelihood tree nested Semotilus atromaculatus (NA) within a clade with Phoxinus phoxinus (E). This tree also nested Notemigonus crysoleucas (NA) within a clade with 5 Eurasian species Abramis brama, Chondrostoma kubanicum, Leuciscus idus, Rutilus rutilus, and Leuciscus idus. Based on GH phylogenetic analysis, North American Leuciscinae does not constitute a monophyletic lineage.

Keywords: North America, Leuciscinae, Growth Hormone gene.

Dorothy Nyingi

National Museums of Kenya, Niarobi, KENYA

Morphometric and Molecular methods for delineation of taxa and units of conservation (oral presentation, Biodiversity Research Methods)

Abstract: Identification of biological units such as species is the first step to all useful biodiversity studies. This has relied highly on alfa-taxonomy which provides qualitative and quantitative descriptions, identification keys and deposition of reference collections in museums. Traditional morphometrics have continued to be used to acquire numerical comparisons among different levels of taxa. However, when dealing with ambiguous units of conservation where differentiation among groups is discrete more powerful discriminative techniques such as geometric morphometrics and molecular genetics are useful. A combination of both or several methods has been shown to be very informative in several studies including a systematic study of 15 populations the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus from their natural range of occurrence in Africa using geometric morphometrics and sequences of mtDNA. 11 Evolutionary Significant Units (synonymous with sub-species) were distinguished compared to 7 subspecies described earlier using traditional morphometrics. These inferences have however been interpreted in reference to important data from meristic counts and linear morphometrics known to be linked to environmental variability. Nuclear DNA (microsatellites) studies have also shown evidence on the existence of a meta-population structure of O. niloticus within the Lake Victoria after about 50 years since its introduction.

Key words: traditional morphometrics, geometric morphometrics, microsatellites, mtDNA

Ray Schmidt^1,2* and Frank Pezold¹

¹Department of Biology, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, Texas; ²Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Morphometric and molecular variation of mountain catfishes (Amphiliidae, Amphilius) in Guinea, West Africa (poster presentation)

Abstract: A morphometric and molecular analysis was performed on specimens identified as Amphilius from Guinea, West Africa. Specimens and tissue samples of Amphilius atesuensis, Amphilius rheophilus, and Amphilius platychir were collected in the streams of the Fouta Djalon, Zone Forestière, and coastal drainages during expeditions in 2003. A geometric morphometric (GM) analysis showed significant morphometric variation within the A. platychir and A. rheophilus complex. Results of the standard morphometric analysis were consistent with GM analysis. The number of gill rakers on the first arch was found to be informative within both species complexes. Phylogenetic analysis of partial sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene revealed three distinct clades corresponding to A. platychir, A. atesuensis, and A. rheophilus. Within the A. platychir clade well-supported deep divergence was observed between specimens from the Fatala River and those from the Konkouré, Gambie, and Senegal River basins. The A. rheophilus clade displayed well-supported divergence between specimens from the Rio Corubal basin and those from the Senegal River basin. Genetic divergence corresponds with the significant morphometric variation observed with the GM analysis with the A. rheophilus and A. platychir clades and indicates the presence of cryptic taxa within both. The taxonomic implications for both species complexes is discussed.

Keywords: Fouta Djalon, Amphilius platychir, Amphilius rheophilus, cytochrome b

Brian L. Sidlauskas*, Richard L. Mayden, Richard P. Vari

National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, Durham NC, 27705; Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri USA; Richard P. Vari, Division of Fishes,

Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA

Building Collaborations to Reconstruct the Characiform Tree of Life (panel presentation, Building Successful Biodiversity Research Networks)

Abstract: The more than 1600 species in the ostariophysan order Characiformes form one of the most important groups of freshwater fishes in the world and comprise major portions of the fish diversity of South and Central America and Africa. Characiform fishes occupy a huge variety of ecological niches ranging from detritivory to carnivory, support major fisheries, span nearly two orders of magnitude in body size, and demonstrate repeated convergence with many other fish groups. Despite the ecological, economic and evolutionary importance of the Characiformes, their systematics are very poorly known, and even the most comprehensive phylogenetic analyses to date have included fewer than 10% of the species. To address this knowledge gap we are assembling a NSF Tree-of-Life proposal to reconstruct the phylogeny of the entire Characiformes using a combined molecular and morphological approach. Success of this large enterprise will depend critically upon collaborations with scientists in many countries, and we anticipate various opportunities for joint research, collection building, student training and local outreach. We look forward to opening a dialogue about potential research avenues within the broad scope of this project with the participants at this Grahamstown meeting.

Keywords: Characiformes, collaboration, phylogenetics, systematics, biodiversity

Brian Sidlauskas

National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Morphometric and Osteological Methods in Ichthyology (panel presentation, Biodiversity Research Methods)

Abstract: Anatomical studies have a long and illustrious history in ichthyology and have played a key role in reconstructing phylogenetic relationships among species, recognizing and diagnosing new taxa, and understanding growth, form and function. This presentation will introduce methods for preparing specimens for morphological study, performing morphometric analyses using linear measures or geometric coordinates, and executing phylogenetic analyses using anatomical characters.

Keywords: Anatomy, Methods, Morphology, Geometric Morphometrics, Phylogeny

Brian Sidlauskas

National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Understanding the ecomorphological diversification of African distichodontid and citharinid fishes through phylomorphospace analysis (poster presentation)

Abstract: The African characiform fishes in family Distichodontidae vary widely in ecology and morphology, including species specialized as herbivores, piscivores, invertivores and even fin-eaters, while species in their sister group (Citharinidae) are all detritivores with little morphological variation. This difference in variation between the two groups suggests that some factor has constrained the ecomorphological evolution of the citharinids or has actively promoted the diversification of the distichodontids. Projecting a phylogeny into a multivariate morphospace (a phylomorphospace) reveals that the majority of skull shape and diet variation within Distichodontidae is contained within a clade defined by the possession of a novel joint within the lower jaw. This highly diverse clade has a very low lineage density (a measure of the packing of phylogenetic branches in morphospace) compared to the citharinids and the remaining distichodontids, all of which lack the novel joint and have similar skull shapes. Comparison of the real distichodontid dataset with simulated phylomorphospaces suggests that such a large difference in lineage densities cannot be reasonably generated by a null model of Brownian evolution, in which a single rate and mode of morphological evolution applies across the whole phylogeny. Instead, the innovative jaw joint possessed by some distichodontids appears to have sparked a shift in their mode of evolution by releasing anatomical constraints and allowing the exploration of new ecological niches.

Keywords: Characiformes, Disparity, Evolution, Morphometrics, Phylogeny

Tamatamah, Rashid

Dept. of Fisheries Science and Aquaculture, Univ. of Dar es Salaam,

Dar es Salaam, TANZANIA

Status of fish biodiversity research in Tanzania

(oral presentation, Fish Biodiversity Research Needs and Challenges in Africa)

Abstract: Fish biodiversity research in Tanzania dates back to nearly 100 years ago with earlier works centred on the Great Lakes of Tanganyika, Malawi/Nyassa and Victoria where a notably good proportion of species are endemic to those systems. Currently the bulk of fish biodiversity research in the country is carried out by three public institutions: Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI), the University of Dar es Salaam at its Department of Fisheries Science and Aquaculture, and the National Museum of Tanzania. The existing fish biodiversity research is characterized as being largely donor-funded, widely dispersed, sometimes inconsistent, and the results that are largely inaccessible to decision makers and for effective integration within expanding plans for conservation of freshwater ecosystems and resources. Research institutions have insufficient laboratory supplies and equipment, insufficient databases and catalogues of known biodiversity and lack adequate human capacity in some specialized fields of fish biodiversity research, especially fish taxonomy and molecular genetics. Building strong fish biodiversity research should start with adequate research funding and assembling biodiversity database across national institutions and geographies. In addition, because many issues related to fish biodiversity transcend national boundaries, it is often essential for Tanzania to collaborate with other countries in scientific research and policy development.

Keywords: Fish biodiversity research, Tanzania, research institutions, biodiversity database, research collaboration.