Neotropical tetras of the family Characidae form the largest and most taxonomically complex clade within the order Characiformes. In this study, researchers propose a new classification of former Characidae into four new taxonomic families: Spintherobolidae, Stevardiidae (nine sub-families), Characidae (five sub-families), and Acestrorhamphidae (15 sub-families).
Paywall – https://academic.oup.com/…/articl…/202/1/zlae101/7748269
This is a major work, with a lot to unpack. This study represents the largest phylogeny of Neotropical tetras of the families Acestrorhamphidae, Characidae, Spintherobolidae, and Stevardiidae to date in terms of taxa and characters. Together with the new (sub)families, there are many nomenclature changes at the species level proposed, and some great discussion on the remarkable fishes we know as tetras.
The authors note that the new phylogeny opens avenues for new systematic reviews and redefinitions of included genera.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ง๐ถ๐๐น๐ฒ
Phylogenomics of Characidae, a hyper-diverse Neotropical freshwater fish lineage, with a phylogenetic classification including four families (Teleostei: Characiformes)
๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Bruno F Melo, Rafaela P Ota, Ricardo C Benine, Fernando R Carvalho, Flavio C T Lima, George M T Mattox, Camila S Souza, Tiago C Faria, Lais Reia, Fabio F Roxo, Martha Valdez-Moreno, Thomas J Near, Claudio Oliveira, Phylogenomics of Characidae, a hyper-diverse Neotropical freshwater fish lineage, with a phylogenetic classification including four families (Teleostei: Characiformes), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 202, Issue 1, September 2024, zlae101, https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae101
๐๐ฏ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐
Neotropical tetras of the family Characidae form the largest and most taxonomically complex clade within the order Characiformes. Previous phylogenetic relationships concur on the recognition of four major subclades, whereas knowledge on intergeneric and interspecific relationships remains largely incomplete or nonexistent.
We sampled 575 specimens of 494 species and 123 genera classified in Characidae, generated new molecular data of ultraconserved elements (UCEs), and used likelihood and Bayesian analyses. The phylogeny (1348 UCE loci: 538 472 bp) yielded clades with unprecedented resolution at species- and genus-levels, allowing us to propose a new classification of former Characidae into four families: Spintherobolidae, Stevardiidae, Characidae, and Acestrorhamphidae.
The family Stevardiidae includes nine subfamilies: Landoninae, Xenurobryconinae, Glandulocaudinae, Argopleurinae, Hemibryconinae, Stevardiinae, Planaltininae, Creagrutinae, and Diapominae.
The family Characidae includes five subfamilies: Aphyocharacinae, Cheirodontinae, Exodontinae, Tetragonopterinae, and Characinae.
The family Acestrorhamphidae congregates 15 subfamilies: Oxybryconinae, Trochilocharacinae, Stygichthyinae, Megalamphodinae, Stichonodontinae, unnamed subfamily, Stethaprioninae, Pristellinae, Jupiabinae, Tyttobryconinae, Hyphessobryconinae, Thayeriinae, Rhoadsiinae, Grundulinae, and Acestrorhamphinae.
The phylogeny resolves intergeneric relationships and supports revalidation of ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ข๐ , ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐, ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ , ๐๐๐ ๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ , synonymy of ๐ด๐โ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ก๐, ๐บ๐๐๐ฆ๐โ๐๐๐๐ฅ, and ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ , and expansion of ๐ถ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ท๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ , ๐ต๐๐๐๐, ๐ถ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐, and ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. The phylogeny opens avenues for new systematic reviews and redefinitions of included genera.
There are many name changes at the species level proposed, including many popular aquarium tetras, from the Bleeding heart tetra to the Red-eye tetra, and it seems everything in-between! The full list of proposed changes is below.
This study involved thirteen authors, a six-year project which covered 575 taxa, 494 species, 123 genera, four families, and 29 subfamilies, resulting in this new classification of Characidae tetras and related families.
Below is the complete list of nomenclature changes at the species level proposed in this study.
๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ต๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฒ
๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ถ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐๐ต๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฒ
๐ท๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐โ๐๐ is now ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐โ๐๐
๐ท๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ is now ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐
๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ต๐ผ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฒ
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ is now ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ (Bentos tetra)
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐ is now ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ is now ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ (Serpae tetra)
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ is now ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ข๐ (Bleeding heart tetra)
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐โ๐ข๐๐ก๐ง๐ is now ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ข๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐โ๐ข๐๐ก๐ง๐
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ is now ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ (Black phantom tetra)
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ is now ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ข๐
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ is now ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ (Rosy Tetra)
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ (Lesser bleeding-heart tetra)
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ is now ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ (Red Phantom Tetra)
๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐๐ is now ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐๐ (Diamond tetra)
๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฒ
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ก๐๐ is now ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ก๐
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ is now ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐
๐ฝ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ก๐ is now ๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ก๐
๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฒ
๐ด๐โ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐
๐ด๐โ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ด๐โ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ก๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ข๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ is now ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐
๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฒ
๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ข๐๐ is now ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ข๐๐
๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ is now ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ข๐ is now ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ข๐
๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐๐๐
๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ (Head and tail-light tetra)
๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐๐โ๐๐ is now ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐โ๐๐ (Pretty tetra)
๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ is now ๐ต๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐
๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ต๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ต๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ (Lipstick tetra)
๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ is now ๐ต๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ต๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ (Glass tetra)
๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐โ๐กโ๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐โ๐กโ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ต๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ (Red-eye tetra)
๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข is now ๐ต๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข
๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฒ
๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฒ
๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ข is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ข
๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐
๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐
๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐
๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ถ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐
๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐
๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐บ๐๐๐ฆ๐โ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐
๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐
๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐
๐ป๐ฆ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ is now ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ is now ๐ด๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ is now ๐ถ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐