Phylogeny and biogeography of Triportheidae (Teleostei: Characiformes) based on molecular data.

Triportheidae represents a relatively small family of characiform fishes with highly modified morphology. The relationship among characiform families is still unclear, and a phylogenetic analysis for the family including a representative number of Triportheus species has never been performed. Here, we inferred a phylogeny for 19 of the 22 species recognized for this family and two possible new Triportheus species using two mitochondrial and three nuclear genes. Our results show that (1) Triportheidae is monophyletic and a sister group of the clade consisting of the families Bryconidae and Gasteropelecidae; (2) Triportheus is monophyletic, but some species need to be reviewed and described; (3) all genera in Triportheidae, except for Agoniates originated in the period between Early Oligocene and Early Miocene; and (4) speciation in Triportheidae coincides with important geological events in South America, reinforcing the importance of time-calibrated trees to study fish evolution.

Composition and interrelationships of a large Neotropical freshwater fish group, the subfamily Cheirodontinae (Characiformes: Characidae): a case study based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences.

Characidae is the most species-rich family of freshwater fishes in the order Characiformes, with more than 1000 valid species that correspond to approximately 55% of the order. Few hypotheses about the composition and internal relationships within this family are available and most fail to reach an agreement. Among Characidae, Cheirodontinae is an emblematic group that includes 18 genera (1 fossil) and approximately 60 described species distributed throughout the Neotropical region. The taxonomic and systematic history of Cheirodontinae is complex, and only two hypotheses about the internal relationships in this subfamily have been reported to date. In the present study, we test the composition and relationships of fishes assigned to Cheirodontinae based on a broad taxonomic sample that also includes some characid incertae sedis taxa that were previously considered to be part of Cheirodontinae. We present phylogenetic analyses of a large molecular dataset of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. Our results reject the monophyly of Cheirodontinae as previously conceived, as well as the tribes Cheirodontini and Compsurini, and the genera Cheirodon, Compsura, Leptagoniates, Macropsobrycon, Odontostilbe, and Serrapinnus. On the basis of these results we propose: (1) the exclusion of Amazonspinther and Spintherobolus from the subfamily Cheirodontinae since they are the sister-group of all remaining Characidae; (2) the removal of Macropsobrycon xinguensis of the genus Macropsobrycon; (3) the removal of Leptagoniates pi of the genus Leptagoniates; (4) the inclusion of Leptagoniates pi in the subfamily Cheirodontinae; (5) the removal of Cheirodon stenodon of the genus Cheirodon and its inclusion in the subfamily Cheirodontinae under a new genus name; (6) the need to revise the polyphyletic genera Compsura, Odontostilbe, and Serrapinnus; and (7) the division of Cheirodontinae in three newly defined monophyletic tribes: Cheirodontini, Compsurini, and Pseudocheirodontini. Our results suggest that our knowledge about the largest Neotropical fish family, Characidae, still is incipient.

Social isolation and aggressiveness in the Amazonian juvenile fish Astronotus ocellatus.

We tested the effect of social isolation on the aggressiveness of an Amazonian fish: Astronotus ocellatus. Ten juvenile fishes were transferred from a group aquarium (60 x 60 x 40 cm) containing 15 individuals (without distinguishing sex) to an isolation aquarium (50 x 40 x 40 cm). Aggressiveness was tested by means of attacks on and displays toward the mirror image. The behavior was video-recorded for 10 min at a time on 4 occasions: at 30 min, 1 day, 5 days and 15 days after isolation. The aggressive drive was analyzed in three ways: latency to display agonistic behavior, frequency of attacks and specific attacks toward the mirror image. The latency to attack decreased during isolation, but the frequency of mouth fighting (a high aggressive attack) tended to increase, indicating an augmented aggressive drive. Our findings are congruent with the behavior of the juvenile cichlid, Haplochromis burtoni but differ from the behavior observed in another cichlid, Pterophylum scalare. Increased aggressiveness in A. ocellatus may be mediated by means of the primer effect, the effect of prior residence or processes involving recognition of a conspecific.

Social isolation and aggressiveness in the Amazonian juvenile fish Astronotus ocellatus

Testamos o efeito do isolamento social sobre a agressividade no peixe amazônico, Astronotus ocellatus. Dez peixes juvenis foram transferidos de um aquário de agrupamento (60 x 60 x 40 cm) contendo 15 indivíduos (sem discriminação de sexo) para um aquário de isolamento (50 x 40 x 40 cm). A agressividade foi testada por meio de ataques e exibições direcionadas à imagem do peixe no espelho. O comportamento foi filmado durante 10 min em 4 momentos: 30 min, 1 dia, 5 dias e 15 dias após o isolamento. Nós analisamos a motivação agressiva por meio da latência para início do comportamento agonístico e pela freqüência dos ataques totais e específicos direcionados ao espelho. A latência para o comportamento agonístico reduziu ao longo do isolamento e houve uma tendência de aumento da freqüência de "mouth fighting" (um ataque de alta intensidade de agressão), mostrando-nos um aumento na motivação agressiva. Os resultados estão de acordo com os encontrados para ciclídeos juvenís de Haplochromis burtoni, mas discordam com os encontrados para Pterophylum scalare (acará bandeira). Sugerimos que o aumento da agressividade em A. ocellatus pode ser mediado pelo efeito de exposição prévia, da residência prévia ou por processos envolvendo reconhecimento de co-específicos.