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Chromosomal and electric signal diversity in three sympatric electric knifefish species (Gymnotus, Gymnotidae) from the Central Amazon Floodplain

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Abstract

We describe chromosomal and electric signal diversity in three sympatric species of Gymnotus (Gymnotidae) fish from the Central Amazon Floodplain. Gymnotus arapaima presents a karyotype of 2n = 44 (24 m-sm + 20st-a), G. mamiraua 2n = 54 (42 m-sm + 12st-a), and G. jonasi 2n = 52 (12 m-sm + 40st-a). No evidence for a chromosomal sexual system was observed in two species for which both males and females were analyzed (G. mamiraua and G. arapaima). In all three species the constitutive heterochromatin is located primarily in pericentromeric regions, but also at some other sites. G. arapaima and G. mamiraua exhibit simple nucleolar organizing regions (NORs) on short arms of chromosome pairs 19 and 24, respectively. Gymnotus jonasi exhibits a multiple interstitial NOR on the long arm of pairs 9 and 10, and on the short arm of pair 11. G. arapaima and G. mamiraua exhibit several additional similarities in their karyotypic formulas—reflecting the phylogenetic proximity of these species within a G. carapo group clade (based on molecular phylogenetic evidence). The chromosomal differences among these three sympatric species imply complete post-zygotic reproductive isolation. A prominent pattern of partitioning of the peak power frequency of the electric organ discharge of these three species indicates pre-zygotic reproductive isolation of mate attraction signals. We conclude by discussing the evolutionary events that may have promoted signal divergence and reproductive isolation in Gymnotus of the Central Amazon, and the role that chromosomal rearrangements may place in diversification.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the IDSM (Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá) for logistic support to collect samples. The Cytogenetic lab was funded by CNPq, FAPESPA, CAPES, and UFPA. Collecting was authorized by IBAMA (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente) permit 13248-1 (IBAMA Registration 242396). W. Crampton was funded by the US National Science Foundation grant DEB-0614334, and grants from CNPq and MCT.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Campus do Guamá, Av. Perimetral, sn. Guamá, Belém, Pará, 66075-900, Brazil

    Susana Suely Rodrigues Milhomem, Julio Cesar Pieczarka, Danillo dos Santos Silva, Adauto Lima Cardoso, Patricia Corrêa da Silva & Cleusa Yoshiko Nagamachi

  2. CNPq, Brasília, Brazil

    Julio Cesar Pieczarka & Cleusa Yoshiko Nagamachi

  3. CNPq—on Genetics and Molecular Biology, Brasília, Brazil

    Susana Suely Rodrigues Milhomem, Danillo dos Santos Silva & Patricia Corrêa da Silva

  4. Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32816-2368, USA

    William Gareth Richard Crampton

  5. CAPES—on Genetics and Molecular Biology, Brasília, Brazil

    Adauto Lima Cardoso

  6. Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, IDSM, Amazonas, Brazil

    Jonas Alves de Oliveira

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  1. Susana Suely Rodrigues Milhomem
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  2. William Gareth Richard Crampton
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  3. Julio Cesar Pieczarka
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  4. Danillo dos Santos Silva
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  5. Adauto Lima Cardoso
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  7. Jonas Alves de Oliveira
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  8. Cleusa Yoshiko Nagamachi
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Correspondence to Cleusa Yoshiko Nagamachi.

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Milhomem, S.S.R., Crampton, W.G.R., Pieczarka, J.C. et al. Chromosomal and electric signal diversity in three sympatric electric knifefish species (Gymnotus, Gymnotidae) from the Central Amazon Floodplain. Rev Fish Biol Fisheries 22, 485–497 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-011-9239-1

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