Hydrography rather than lip morphology better explains the evolutionary relationship between Gymnogeophagus labiatus and G. lacustris in Southern Brazil (Cichlidae: Geophagini)

ABSTRACT

Gymnogeophagus labiatus and G. lacustris have been long recognized as sister species exhibiting different ecological requirements. Gymnogeophagus labiatus occurs in rock bottom rivers in the hydrographic basins of Patos Lagoon (HBP) and Tramandaí River (HBT), while G. lacustris is exclusive from sand bottom coastal lagoons of the HBT. In this study, we used molecular markers, morphological measurements and data from nuptial male coloration to investigate the evolutionary relationship between these species in each hydrographic basin. We found, for all data sets, a closer relationship between G. labiatus and G. lacustris from the HBT than between G. labiatus populations from HBT and HBP. In particular, lip area had a large intraspecific plasticity, being uninformative to diagnose G. lacustris from G. labiatus. Molecular clock-based estimates suggest a recent divergence between species in the HBT (17,000 years ago), but not between G. labiatus from HBP and HBT (3.6 millions of years ago). Finally, we also found a divergent G. labiatus genetic lineage from the Camaquã River, in the HBP. These results show that the current taxonomy of G. labiatus and G. lacustris does not properly represent evolutionary lineages in these species.

Keywords:
Ecological divergence; Iterative taxonomy; Mitochondrial DNA; Phenotypic plasticity; Tramandaí-Mampituba ecoregion