|
|||||
|
|
The synonymy of Haplochromis pharyngalis and Haplochromis petronius (Cichlidae) |
|
| Authors: | Nathan Vranken Maarten Van Steenberge Akonkwa Balagizi Jos Snoeks |
| Institution: | 1. Royal Museum for Central Africa, Biology Department, Section Vertebrates, Tervuren, Belgium;2. Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, Leuven, Belgium
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Operational Directorate Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Brussels, Belgium Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic;3. Département de Biologie, Université Officielle de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo;4. Royal Museum for Central Africa, Biology Department, Section Vertebrates, Tervuren, Belgium Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, Leuven, Belgium |
| Abstract: | Haplochromis pharyngalis and Haplochromis petronius, two endemic cichlids from the Lake Edward system (Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo), are very similar in general morphology but have been reported to differ in pharyngeal jaw morphology and distribution. This study analysed 51 morphometrics and various qualitative characteristics of 48 specimens from different localities. The morphological traits of both species strongly overlap, and differences in the pharyngeal jaw morphology correspond to a geographic morphocline. We conclude that all specimens belong to one valid species, H. pharyngalis, and consider H. petronius to be a synonym. |
| Keywords: | East African Great Lakes geographical variation haplochromines polymorphism taxonomy Thoracochromis |