@article {565, title = {A review of the systematic biology of fossil and living bony-tongue fishes, Osteoglossomorpha (Actinopterygii: Teleostei)}, journal = {Neotropical Ichthyology}, volume = {16}, year = {2018}, month = {Jan-01-2018}, abstract = {

The bony-tongue fishes, Osteoglossomorpha, have been the focus of a great deal of morphological, systematic, and evolutionary study, due in part to their basal position among extant teleostean fishes. This group includes the mooneyes (Hiodontidae), knifefishes (Notopteridae), the abu (Gymnarchidae), elephantfishes (Mormyridae), arawanas and pirarucu (Osteoglossidae), and the African butterfly fish (Pantodontidae). This morphologically heterogeneous group also has a long and diverse fossil record, including taxa from all continents and both freshwater and marine deposits. The phylogenetic relationships among most extant osteoglossomorph families are widely agreed upon. However, there is still much to discover about the systematic biology of these fishes, particularly with regard to the phylogenetic affinities of several fossil taxa, within Mormyridae, and the position of Pantodon. In this paper we review the state of knowledge for osteoglossomorph fishes. We first provide an overview of the diversity of Osteoglossomorpha, and then discuss studies of the phylogeny of Osteoglossomorpha from both morphological and molecular perspectives, as well as biogeographic analyses of the group. Finally, we offer our perspectives on future needs for research on the systematic biology of Osteoglossomorpha.

}, keywords = {Biogeography, Osteoglossidae, Paleontology, phylogeny, Taxonomy}, issn = {1679-6225}, doi = {10.1590/1982-0224-20180031}, url = {http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext\&pid=S1679-62252018000300304\&lng=en\&tlng=en}, author = {Hilton, Eric J. and S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e}} } @article {481, title = {Cryptomyrus: a new genus of Mormyridae (Teleostei, Osteoglossomorpha) with two new species from Gabon, West-Central Africa}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {561}, year = {2016}, month = {Aug-02-2016}, pages = {117 - 150}, abstract = {

Abstract
We use mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data to show that three weakly electric mormyrid fish specimens collected at three widely separated localities in Gabon, Africa over a 13-year period represent an unrecognized lineage within the subfamily Mormyrinae and determine its phylogenetic position with respect to other taxa. We describe these three specimens as a new genus containing two new species. Cryptomyrus, new genus, is readily distinguished from all other mormyrid genera by a combination of features of squamation, morphometrics, and dental attributes. Cryptomyrus ogoouensis, new species, is differentiated from its single congener, Cryptomyrus ona, new species, by the possession of an anal-fin origin located well in advance of the dorsal fin, a narrow caudal peduncle and caudal-fin lobes nearly as long as the peduncle. In C. ona, the anal-fin origin is located only slightly in advance of the dorsal fin, the caudal peduncle is deep and the caudal-fin lobes considerably shorter than the peduncle. Continued discovery of new taxa within the \“Lower Guinea Clade\” of Mormyridae highlights the incompleteness of our knowledge of fish diversity in West-Central Africa. We present a revised key to the mormyrid genera of Lower Guinea.

R\ésum\é
Nous avons d\émontr\é avec des marqueurs mitochondriaux et nucl\éaires que trois sp\écimens de poissons mormyrid\és faiblement \électriques, collect\és \à trois localit\és au Gabon sur une p\ériode de 13 ans, forment une lign\ée inconnue au sein de la sous famille des Mormyrinae dont nous avons d\étermin\é la position phylog\én\étique. Nous d\écrivons un nouveau genre et deux nouvelles esp\èces pour ces trois sp\écimens. Cryptomyrus, nouveau genre, se distingue des autres genres de mormyrid\és par une combinaison de caract\ères de l\’\écaillure, morphom\étriques, et dentaires. Cryptomyrus ogoouensis, nouvelle esp\èce, se distingue de sa seule esp\èce cong\én\érique par sa nageoire anale qui commence nettement en avant de sa nageoire dorsale, son p\édoncule caudal gracile et les lobes de sa nageoire caudale pratiquement aussi longs que son p\édoncule caudal. Chez Cryptomyrus ona, nouvelle esp\èce, la nageoire anale commence l\ég\èrement en avant de l\’origine de la nageoire dorsale, le p\édoncule caudal est large, et les lobes de la nageoire caudale sont plus courts que le p\édoncule caudal. La d\écouverte ininterrompue de nouveaux taxa dans le \«clade de basse Guin\ée\» des Mormyridae illustre notre connaissance incompl\ète de la diversit\é des poissons de l\’ouest de l\’Afrique centrale. Nous pr\ésentons une cl\é r\évis\ée des genres de Mormyridae de basse Guin\ée.

}, keywords = {African freshwater fishes, DNA, electric organ discharge, EOD, integrative taxonomy, Mormyrinae, phylogeny, rarity, weakly electric fish}, issn = {1313-2989}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.561.7137}, url = {http://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=7137}, author = {John P. Sullivan and S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e} and Carl D. Hopkins} } @article {501, title = {Petrocephalus leo, a new species of African electric fish (Osteoglossomorpha: Mormyridae) from the Oubangui River basin (Congo basin)}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {4121}, year = {2016}, month = {06/2016}, pages = {319-330}, type = {original}, chapter = {319}, abstract = {

A new species of the African weakly electric fish genus Petrocephalus (Osteoglossomorpha: Mormyridae: Petrocephalinae) is described from the Oubangui (Ubangi) River basin, the principal right-bank tributary of the Congo River. Petrocephalus leo sp. nov. is one of the most distinctive species of Petrocephalus as it combines (among other characteristics) the absence of electroreceptive rosettes on the head with a unique melanin pattern. Only four other species of Petrocephalus lack all electroreceptive rosettes: Petrocephalus microphthalmus, Petrocephalus haullevillii, Petrocephalus schoutedeni, and Petrocephalus zakoni. Petrocephalus leo sp. nov. can be distinguished from these four species in having a distinctive black mark at the base of the pectoral fins (versus absent in P. microphthalmus, P. haullevillii and P. schoutedeni) and no subdorsal black mark (versus present in P. zakoni). A phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences shows haplotypes of P. leo sp. nov. are distinct, but are unexpectedly nested within P. zakoni haplotypes, making this latter species paraphyletic. To investigate this conflict between morphology and mitochondrial cytochrome b, a nuclear marker, the first intron of the gene coding for the S7 ribosomal protein, was sequenced. The presence of four diagnostic indels between P. zakoni and P. leo sp. nov. sequences supports the reciprocal monophyly of these two species. This is the first reported case of conflict between morphology and mitochondrial phylogeny within the genus Petrocephalus. Finally, three species of Petrocephalus are reported for the first time from the Oubangui region bringing the total of Petrocephalus species in this region to 12.

}, keywords = {Africa, cytochrome b, fish, molecular phylogeny, morphology, nuclear S7 intron, Petrocephalinae}, doi = {http://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4121.3.6}, author = {S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e}} } @article {894, title = {Petrocephalus boboto and Petrocephalus~arnegardi, two~new species of African electric fish (Osteoglossomorpha, Mormyridae) from the Congo River basin}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {400}, year = {2014}, month = {04/2014}, pages = {43 - 65}, abstract = {

Abstract A specimen of the African weakly electric fish genus Petrocephalus (Osteoglossomorpha, Mormyridae) collected in the Congo River at Yangambi, Orientale Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, is described as a new species. Petrocephalus boboto sp. n. can be distinguished from other Central African species of Petrocephalus by a combination of the following characteristics: three distinct black spots on the body, one at the origin of the pectoral fin, one at the origin of the caudal fin and one below the anterior base of the dorsal fin; Nakenrosette and Khelrosette electroreceptor clusters distinct on head but Augenrosette cluster reduced in size; 23 branched dorsal rays, 34 branched anal rays, and electric organ discharge waveform triphasic. Petrocephalus boboto sp. n. most closely resembles the holotype of Petrocephalus binotatus but is easily distinguished from it by its smaller mouth. A comparative molecular analysis including 21 other Petrocephalus species shows Petrocephalus boboto sp. n. to be genetically distinctive and to represent a deep lineage in the genus. Two specimens of Petrocephalus collected at Yangambi are morphologically similar and genetically closely related to specimens previously assigned to Petrocephalus binotatus, collected in the northwestern Congo River basin within Odzala-Kokua National Park, Republic of the Congo. This prompts us to formally describe a new species from these collections, Petrocephalus arnegardi sp. n., that, although similar to the holotype of Petrocephalus binotatus, can be distinguished from it by its smaller mouth and shorter interorbital width. R\ésum\é Un sp\écimen de poissons africains \à faible d\écharge \électrique du genre Petrocephalus (Osteoglossomorpha, Mormyridae) collect\é dans le fleuve Congo \à Yangambi, Province Orientale, R\épublique D\émocratique du Congo, est d\écrit comme une nouvelle esp\èce. Petrocephalus boboto sp. n. peut-\être distingu\ée des autres esp\èces de Petrocephalus d\’Afrique Centrale par la pr\ésence de trois distinctes taches noires, l\’une \à la base des nageoires pectorales, la seconde \à la base de la nageoire caudale et la troisi\ème sur chacun des flancs, juste en dessous des premiers rayons de la nageoire dorsale; pr\ésence bien visible de deux rosettes \électror\éceptives sur la t\ête (Nakenrosette et Khelrosette), la troisi\ème rosette (Augenrosette) est de taille r\éduite; 23 rayons branchus \à la nageoire dorsale et 34 rayons \à la nageoire anale; et d\écharge \électrique triphasique. Petrocephalus boboto sp. n. ressemble le plus \à l\’holotype de Petrocephalus binotatus mais s\’en distingue par une bouche nettement plus petite. Une analyse g\én\étique confirme la distinction de Petrocephalus boboto sp. n. parmi un \échantillon de 21 esp\èces. Cette analyse montre \également que cette nouvelle esp\èce repr\ésente une lign\ée distincte de Petrocephalus. Deux autres sp\écimens de Petrocephalus collect\és \à Yangambi sont morphologiquement et g\én\étiquement proches de sp\écimens auparavant identifi\és comme appartenant \à Petrocephalus binotatus, collect\és dans le Parc National d\’Odzala-Kokua, bassin du Congo, R\épublique du Congo. Ceci nous am\ène \à les d\écrire comme une nouvelle esp\èce, Petrocephalus arnegardi sp. n. qui peut-\être distingu\ée de l\’holotype de Petrocephalus binotatus par une bouche plus petite et un espace inter-orbitaire plus court.

}, issn = {1313-2989}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.400.6743}, author = {S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e} and John P. Sullivan} } @article {10.1371/journal.pone.0036287, title = {Comparable Ages for the Independent Origins of Electrogenesis in African and South American Weakly Electric Fishes}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {7}, number = {5}, year = {2012}, month = {05/2012}, pages = {e36287}, abstract = {

One of the most remarkable examples of convergent evolution among vertebrates is illustrated by the independent origins of an active electric sense in South American and African weakly electric fishes, the Gymnotiformes and Mormyroidea, respectively. These groups independently evolved similar complex systems for object localization and communication via the generation and reception of weak electric fields. While good estimates of divergence times are critical to understanding the temporal context for the evolution and diversification of these two groups, their respective ages have been difficult to estimate due to the absence of an informative fossil record, use of strict molecular clock models in previous studies, and/or incomplete taxonomic sampling. Here, we examine the timing of the origins of the Gymnotiformes and the Mormyroidea using complete mitogenome sequences and a parametric Bayesian method for divergence time reconstruction. Under two different fossil-based calibration methods, we estimated similar ages for the independent origins of the Mormyroidea and Gymnotiformes. Our absolute estimates for the origins of these groups either slightly postdate, or just predate, the final separation of Africa and South America by continental drift. The most recent common ancestor of the Mormyroidea and Gymnotiformes was found to be a non-electrogenic basal teleost living more than 85 millions years earlier. For both electric fish lineages, we also estimated similar intervals (16\–19 or 22\–26 million years, depending on calibration method) between the appearance of electroreception and the origin of myogenic electric organs, providing rough upper estimates for the time periods during which these complex electric organs evolved de novo from skeletal muscle precursors. The fact that the Gymnotiformes and Mormyroidea are of similar age enhances the comparative value of the weakly electric fish system for investigating pathways to evolutionary novelty, as well as the influences of key innovations in communication on the process of species radiation.

}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0036287}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0036287}, author = {S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e} and Miya, Masaki and Matthew E. Arnegard and John P. Sullivan and Carl D. Hopkins and Nishida, Mutsumi} } @article {1823, title = {Petrocephalus Marcusen, 1854 (Osteoglossomorpha: Mormyridae) of the Bangweulu-Mweru ecoregion (Luapula River system, Congo basin), with the description of a new species}, journal = {Journal of Natural History}, volume = {46}, year = {2012}, month = {09/2012}, pages = {2159-2178}, abstract = {A recent collection of African electric fish of the genus Petrocephalus from the Bangweulu-Mweru ecoregion of the Congo basin comprises two endemic species, Petrocephalus squalostoma (Boulenger, 1915), which was previously known only from its type specimens and another specimen, and a new species described herein as Petrocephalus frieli sp. nov. An exclusive set of morphological characters distinguishes P. frieli sp. nov. from P. squalostoma and all other species of Petrocephalus from the Congo basin. Petrocephalus frieli sp. nov. can further be distinguished from the East African Petrocephalus catostoma catostoma (G{\"u}nther, 1866) in having only 12 circumpenduncular scales (versus 15/16 in P. c. catostoma). A molecular phylogenetic analysis confirms the distinctiveness of P. squalostoma and P. frieli sp. nov. among a sampling of 18 species of Petrocephalus. Previous reports of Petrocephalus simus Sauvage, 1879 from the Bangweulu-Mweru ecoregion probably represent misidentifications and the occurrence of P. c. catostoma is not confirmed.}, doi = {10.1080/00222933.2012.708449}, author = {S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e}} } @article {592, title = {A new species of Petrocephalus Marcusen 1854 (Osteoglossomorpha: Mormyridae) from the Sanaga River basin, Cameroon}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {2934}, year = {2011}, month = {06/2011}, pages = {20{\textendash}28}, author = {S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e}} } @article {122, title = {African weakly electric fishes of the genus Petrocephalus (Osteoglossomorpha: Mormyridae) of Odzala National Park, Republic of Congo (L{\'e}koli River, Congo River basin) with description of five new species}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {2600}, year = {2010}, month = {09/2010}, pages = {1-52}, type = {monograph}, chapter = {1}, author = {S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e} and John P. Sullivan and Matthew E. Arnegard} } @article {375, title = {Sexual Signal Evolution Outpaces Ecological Divergence during Electric Fish Species Radiation}, journal = {The American Naturalist}, volume = {176}, year = {2010}, month = {09/2010}, pages = {335 - 356}, issn = {1537-5323}, doi = {10.1086/655221}, author = {Matthew E. Arnegard and McIntyre, Peter~B. and Luke J. Harmon and Zelditch, Miriam~L. and William G.R. Crampton and Davis, Justin~K. and John P. Sullivan and S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e} and Carl D. Hopkins} } @article {410, title = {Differentiation of morphology, genetics and electric signals in a region of sympatry between sister species of African electric fish (Mormyridae)}, journal = {Journal of Evolutionary Biology}, volume = {21}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, note = {312QYTimes Cited:5Cited References Count:70}, month = {Jul}, pages = {1030-1045}, abstract = {

Mormyrid fishes produce and sense weak electric organ discharges (EODs) for object detection and communication, and they have been increasingly recognized as useful model organisms for studying signal evolution and speciation. EOD waveform variation can provide important clues to sympatric species boundaries between otherwise similar or morphologically cryptic forms. Endemic to the watersheds of Gabon (Central Africa), Ivindomyrus marchei and Ivindomyrus opdenboschi are morphologically similar to one another. Using morphometric, electrophysiological and molecular characters [cytochrome b sequences and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) genotypes], we investigated to what extent these nominal mormyrid species have diverged into biological species. Our sampling covered the known distribution of each species with a focus on the Ivindo River, where the two taxa co-occur. An overall pattern of congruence among datasets suggests that I. opdenboschi and I. marchei are mostly distinct. Electric signal analysis showed that EODs of I. opdenboschi tend to have a smaller initial head-positive peak than those of I. marchei, and they often possess a small third waveform peak that is typically absent in EODs of I. marchei. Analysis of sympatric I. opdenboschi and I. marchei populations revealed slight, but significant, genetic partitioning between populations based on AFLP data (F-ST approximate to 0.04). Taken separately, however, none of the characters we evaluated allowed us to discriminate two completely distinct or monophyletic groups. Lack of robust separation on the basis of any single character set may be a consequence of incomplete lineage sorting due to recent ancestry and/or introgressive hybridization. Incongruence between genetic datasets in one individual, which exhibited a mitochondrial haplotype characteristic of I. marchei but nevertheless fell within a genetic cluster of I. opdenboschi based on AFLP genotypes, suggests that a low level of recent hybridization may also be contributing to patterns of character variation in sympatry. Nevertheless, despite less than perfect separability based on any one dataset and inconclusive evidence for complete reproductive isolation between them in the Ivindo River, we find sufficient evidence to support the existence of two distinctive species, I. opdenboschi and I. marchei, even if not \’biological species\’ in the Mayrian sense.

}, keywords = {adaptive radiation, aflp, electric fish, electric organ discharge, gnathonemus-petersii mormyridae, introgression, markers, mitochondrial-DNA, mormyroidea, phylogeny, population-structure, reproductive isolation, speciation, teleostei}, isbn = {1010-061X}, url = {://000256687100010}, author = {S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e} and John P. Sullivan and Matthew E. Arnegard and Carl D. Hopkins} } @article {409, title = {Petrocephalus of Odzala offer insights into evolutionary patterns of signal diversification in the Mormyridae, a family of weakly electrogenic fishes from Africa}, journal = {Journal of Physiology-Paris}, volume = {102}, number = {4-6}, year = {2008}, note = {411CHTimes Cited:3Cited References Count:84}, month = {Jul-Nov}, pages = {322-339}, abstract = {

Electric signals of mormyrid fishes have recently been described from several regions of Africa. Members of the Mormyridae produce weak electric organ discharges (EODs) as part of a specialized electrosensory Communication and orientation system. Sympatric species often express distinctive EODs, which may contribute to species recognition during mate choice in some lineages. Striking examples of interspecific EOD variation within assemblages have been reported for two monophyletic radiations: the Paramormyrops of Gabon and the Campylomormyrus of Lower Congo. Here, we describe a speciose assemblage of Petrocephalus in the Lekoli River system of Odzala National Park, Republic of Congo. This widespread genus comprises the Subfamily (Petrocephalinae) that is the Sister group to all other mormyrids (Mormyrinae). Eleven Petrocephalus species were collected in Odzala, five of which are not described taxonomically. We quantify EOD variation within this assemblage and show that all eleven species produce EOD waveforms of brief duration (species means range from 144 to 663 mu s) compared to many other mormyrids. We also present reconstructed phylogenetic relationships among species based on cytochrome b sequences. Discovery of the Odzala assemblage greatly increases the number of Petrocephalus species for which EODs and DNA sequence data are available, permitting a first qualitative comparison between mormyrid Subfamilies of the divergence patterns that have been described within lineages. We find that the Petrocephalus assemblage in Odzala is not a monophyletic radiation. Genetic divergence among Petrocephalus species often appears higher than among Paramormyrops or Campylomormyrus species. In contrast, results of this study and others Suggest that Petrocephalus may generally exhibit less interspecific EOD divergence, as well as smaller sex differences in EOD waveforms, compared to Paramormyrops and Campylomormyrus. We discuss possible causes and consequences of EOD diversification patterns observed within mormyrid subfamilies as a framework for future comparative studies of signal evolution using this emerging model system. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {adaptive radiation, communication signals, electric organ anatomy, electric organ discharge, electrosensory modality, food-habits, gnathonemus-petersii mormyridae, molecular evolution, petrocephalus, pollimyrus-isidori, riverine species flock, sexual signal evolution, sexual-dimorphism, species marker, type npp electrocytes, wave-forms}, isbn = {0928-4257}, url = {://000263625100019}, author = {S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e} and Matthew E. Arnegard and John P. Sullivan and Carl D. Hopkins} } @inbook {152, title = {12. Mormyridae}, booktitle = {The Fresh and Brackish Water Fishes of Lower Guinea, West-Central Africa}, series = {Collection Faune et Flore Tropicales 42}, volume = {1}, year = {2007}, pages = {220{\textendash}334}, publisher = {IRD}, organization = {IRD}, chapter = {12}, isbn = {978-2-7099-1621-9}, author = {Carl D. Hopkins and S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e} and John P. Sullivan}, editor = {Melanie L.J. Stiassny and Teugels, G.G. and Carl D. Hopkins} } @article {130, title = {AFLPs resolve phylogeny and reveal mitochondrial introgression within a species flock of African electric fish (Mormyroidea: Teleostei)}, journal = {Evolution}, volume = {58}, number = {4}, year = {2004}, pages = {825-841}, author = {John P. Sullivan and S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e} and Matthew E. Arnegard and Carl D. Hopkins} } @article {108, title = {The Petrocephalus (Pisces, Osteoglossomorpha, Mormyridae) of Gabon, Central Africa, with description of a new species}, journal = {Zoosystema}, volume = {26}, number = {3}, year = {2004}, month = {2004}, pages = {511-535}, author = {S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e} and Carl D. Hopkins and Kamdem Toham, A.} } @article {128, title = {Phylogenetic utility of the first two introns of the S7 ribosomal protein gene in African electric fishes (Mormyroidea: Teleostei) and congruence with other molecular markers}, journal = {Biological Journal of the Linnean Society}, volume = {78}, year = {2003}, pages = {273-292}, keywords = {Mormyridae}, doi = {http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1095-8312.2003.00170.x}, url = {http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1095-8312.2003.00170.x}, author = {S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e} and John P. Sullivan and Carl D. Hopkins} } @article {127, title = {Molecular systematics of the African electric fishes (Mormyroidea: Teleostei) and a model for the evolution of their electric organs.}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Biology}, volume = {203}, number = {4}, year = {2000}, pages = {665-683}, keywords = {Mormyridae}, author = {John P. Sullivan and S{\'e}bastien Lavou{\'e} and Carl D. Hopkins} }