Divergent karyotypes in five genera of the African endemic fish family Distichodontidae (Cithariniformes, Osteichthyes).

The African family Distichodontidae comprises 109 species in 16 genera. Up-to-date cytogenetic information was available for the only distichodontid species Günther, 1873. Here we report chromosome number and morphology in: Günther, 1864 (2n = 52, FN = 104), (Joannis, 1835) (2n = 46, FN = 92), (Joannis, 1835) (2n = 54, FN = 106) and three taxa, Géry et Zarske, 2003, sp.

Speciation and repeated origins of hypertrophied lips in parallel adaptive radiations of cyprinid fish from East Africa.

The evolution of convergent phenotypes is one of the most interesting phenomena of repeated adaptive radiations. Here, we examined the repeated patterns of thick-lipped or "rubberlip" phenotype of cyprinid fish of the genus discovered in riverine environments of the Ethiopian Highlands, East Africa. To test the adaptive value of thickened lips, identify the ecological niche of the thick-lipped ecomorphs, and test whether these ecomorphs are the products of adaptive divergence, we studied six sympatric pairs of ecomorphs with hypertrophied lips and the normal lip structure from different riverine basins.

First cytogenetic data on Afrotropical lutefishes (Citharinidae) in the light of karyotype evolution in Characiformes.

The Afrotropical lutefish family Citharinidae (Citharinoidei, Characiformes) comprises three genera with eight species in total. Although Citharinidae have been studied in terms of taxonomy and systematics, no cytogenetic information was available for any representative of the family. Furthermore, only one species out of 116 in Citharinoidei ( Günther, 1873) has been studied cytogenetically.

Derived karyotypes in two elephantfish genera ( and ): lowest chromosome number in the family Mormyridae (Osteoglossiformes).

The African weakly electric elephantfish family Mormyridae comprises 22 genera and almost 230 species. Up-to-date cytogenetic information was available for 17 species representing 14 genera. Here we report chromosome number and morphology in (Lacepède, 1803) and (Valenciennes, 1847) collected from the White Nile system in southwestern Ethiopia.

Rapid adaptive radiation in a hillstream cyprinid fish in the East African White Nile River basin.

Adaptive radiation of freshwater fishes was long thought to be possible only in lacustrine environments. Recently, several studies have shown that riverine and stream environments also provide the ecological opportunity for adaptive radiation. In this study, we report on a riverine adaptive radiation of six ecomorphs of cyprinid hillstream fishes of the genus Garra in a river located in the Ethiopian Highlands in East Africa.

Monsters with a shortened vertebral column: A population phenomenon in radiating fish Labeobarbus (Cyprinidae).

The phenomenon of a massive vertebral deformity was recorded in the radiating Labeobarbus assemblage from the middle reaches of the Genale River (south-eastern Ethiopia, East Africa). Within this sympatric assemblage, five trophic morphs-generalized, lipped, piscivorous and two scraping feeders-were reported between 1993 and 2019. In 2009, a new morph with prevalence of ~10% was discovered.

First cytogenetic information for five Nilotic elephantfishes and a problem of ancestral karyotype of the family Mormyridae (Osteoglossiformes).

The elephantfish family Mormyridae is the most diverse lineage of the primitive teleostean clade Osteoglossomorpha distributed in inland waters of all continents except Antarctica and Europe. The family Mormyridae is endemic to Africa and includes 22 genera and almost 230 species. The evolutionary radiation of mormyrids most probably should be attributed to their capability of both generating and receiving weak electric signals.

In the rivers: Multiple adaptive radiations of cyprinid fishes (Labeobarbus) in Ethiopian Highlands.

Multiple repeated patterns of adaptive radiation were revealed in cyprinid fish inhabiting the compact geographic region of the Ethiopian Highlands. We found four independently evolved radiations in the evolutionary hexaploid (2n = 150) Labeobarbus lineage based on matrilineal relationships of >800 individuals. Each radiation displayed similar patterns of mouth phenotype diversification, and included ecomorphs/species of the generalized, lipped, scraping (one or two), and large-mouthed (one to three) types.

Molecular phylogeny of the cyprinid tribe Labeonini (Teleostei: Cypriniformes).

The cyprinid tribe Labeonini (sensuRainboth, 1991) is a large group of freshwater fishes containing around 40 genera and 400 species. They are characterized by an amazing diversity of modifications to their lips and associated structures. In this study, a total of 34 genera and 142 species of putative members of this tribe, which represent most of the generic diversity and more than one third of the species diversity of the group, were sampled and sequenced for four nuclear genes and five mitochondrial genes (totaling 9465bp).