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Inter- and intra-basin phenotypic variation in two riverine cichlids from northeastern Brazil: potential eco-evolutionary damages of São Francisco interbasin water transfer

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Abstract

Intraspecific morphological variation can be generated by a set of historical and ecological processes, and can be induced by anthropogenic actions. One such activity that has large-scale environmental impacts in freshwater environments is interbasin water transfer. Brazil’s Mid-Northeastern Caatinga freshwater ecoregion is going through an interbasin diversion that will link waters from São Francisco ecoregion with the four major basins of Mid-Northeastern Caatinga. Here, we aimed to evaluate the morphological variation of two cichlids, Cichlasoma orientale and Crenicichla menezesi, from both ecoregions and test, whether this morphological variation is related to historical isolation among basins and/or to local water flow regimes, through mtDNA (cytb) and geometric morphometric approaches. Our results showed, for both species, significant morphological differences among basins. However, the comparisons between genetic and morphological differences among basins were not significant. Additionally, a significant shared morphological pattern between species (body depth and mouth position) among different habitats was found. These results reinforce a potential role of environmental pressures upon fish morphology, possibly through phenotypic plasticity. The evolutionary role of morphological responses in freshwater fish populations—especially in variable environments—is discussed, as well as the potential eco-evolutionary damages that might result from the artificial river connection.

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Acknowledgments

We thank IRV veterinary clinic for helping us with the X-Ray plates. Samplings were made under permit 32656-1/2012 MMA/ICMBio/SISBIO from Ministério Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente/Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade. This study was supported by CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/Ministério de Ciências e Tecnologia; process #552086/2011-8). PAM receives fund for CNPq (process #200557/2014-9). RAT is grateful to CNPq and FACEPE for the funds supporting this study. TPAR received DCR (Desenvolvimento Científico Regional) post-doctoral fellowship by CNPq/FAPERN (Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, proc. 350674/2012-4).

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  1. Laboratório de Ictiologia Sistemática e Evolutiva, Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, 59 978-970, Brazil

    Waldir M. Berbel-Filho, Telton P. A. Ramos & Sergio M. Q. Lima

  2. Laboratório de Biogeografia e Macroecologia, Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, 59 978-970, Brazil

    Pablo A. Martinez

  3. Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva e Ambiental, Departamento Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, 50 570-4200, Brazil

    Rodrigo A. Torres

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  1. Waldir M. Berbel-Filho
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Berbel-Filho, W.M., Martinez, P.A., Ramos, T.P.A. et al. Inter- and intra-basin phenotypic variation in two riverine cichlids from northeastern Brazil: potential eco-evolutionary damages of São Francisco interbasin water transfer. Hydrobiologia 766, 43–56 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2440-9

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