Lets Jump In: A Phylogeographic Study of the Great Basin Springfishes and Poolfishes, Crenichthys and Empetrichthys (Cyprinodontiformes: Goodeidae)

Authors: Cooper Campbell, Kyle Piller

Year: 2016 (xlviii)

Abstract

Crenichthys and Empetrichthys are two genera of goodeid fishes that are poorly studied and lack clear taxonomic distinction in terms of their species and subspecies status. Many of the members of these two genera are federally listed as endangered due to anthropogenic impacts and their disjunct distribution across the Great Basin. As a result, clarification of the taxonomy of these populations has been limited by the constraints on specimen acquisition due to conservation concerns. Most recently, with the cooperation of natural resources agencies, we obtained tissue samples for 18 different populations inclusive of nearly all species and subspecies. The objective of this study was to examine the phylogenetic relationships of the populations, subspecies, and species of Crenichthys and Empetrichthys using both mitochondrial and nuclear markers analyzed using Bayesian inference. We also examined genetic variation within and between populations, estimated divergence times, and generated haplotype networks. The results of this study represent a first step towards understanding the evolutionary history and taxonomic diversity of this understudied group of fishes.