Enteromius atakorensis (Daget, 1957) (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from the upper Oti River, Volta Basin, in Benin (West Africa): a single species or a species complex?
Authors
Lederoun, D.
Snoeks, J.
Musschoot, T.
da Costa, L.M.
Lalèyè, P.
Vreven, E.
Discipline
Biological sciences
Subject
Vertebrates
Audience
Scientific
Date
2023Metadata
Show full item recordDescription
The West African Enteromius atakorensis is generally characterised by the presence of a black mid-longitudinal band reaching from the snout to the end of the caudal peduncle, a pattern also still visible on the type specimens. However, specimens from the Dortsedor, a small coastal basin near Accra in Ghana, present three quite distinct black spots interconnected by a continuous black band. To examine the conspecificity of the latter specimens with E. atakorensis, a detailed morphological study based on colour pattern, 11 meristics and 21 measurements was undertaken on 226 specimens identified as E. atakorensis. Our study confirmed that both colour patterns represent intraspecific, allopatric variation in E. atakorensis. In addition, two species new to science were discovered: Enteromius sp. nasia , from a left bank tributary of the White Volta in Ghana, and E. sp. rima from a tributary of the Sokoto, a right bank tributary of the middle Niger in Nigeria. The former can be distinguished from the two others by a lower number of scales above the lateral line, a lower number of circumpeduncular and predorsal scales, and by a wider interorbital distance. Enteromius sp. rima is distinguished from E. atakorensis by its shorter barbels and a shallower body depth. Spotted E. atakorensis are known from the Pra, Densu and Volta basins in the west, while banded specimens are known from the Mono, Ouémé, Ogun and Lower Niger basins in the east. More fieldwork is planned to collect fin clips for genetic studies to further evaluate their conspecificity. The discovery of the two new species illustrates the occurrence of hidden diversity in a region considered well-known regarding its ichthyofauna. Anthropogenic impacts are a concern for all these species and colour morphs.
Citation
Lederoun, D.; Snoeks, J.; Musschoot, T.; da Costa, L.M.; Lalèyè, P.; Vreven, E. (2023). Enteromius atakorensis (Daget, 1957) (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from the upper Oti River, Volta Basin, in Benin (West Africa): a single species or a species complex?. , Seventh International Conference of the Pan African Fish and Fisheries Association (PAFFA): African Fish and Fisheries: Diversity, Conservation and Sustainable Management,Identifiers
Type
Conference
Peer-Review
No
Language
eng