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Spine anatomy reveals the diversity of catfish through time: a case study of Synodontis (Siluriformes)

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Abstract

Synodontis (Mochokidae, Siluriformes) is a freshwater catfish endemic to Africa. The 118 extant species are present in almost all hydrographic basins. Some species are restricted to a single stream, whereas others have a vast distribution. Synodontis is known in the fossil record since the Miocene, and its history depends on the connections among African basins through time. The identification of species in the fossil record is essential to reconstruct this historical pattern. Catfish pectoral and dorsal spines are robust, they preserve well and they form most of the fossil remains for the genus Synodontis. Unfortunately, the criteria for the identification of extant Synodontis species are not applicable to fossil specimens. Here, we define 11 original morphological characters that permit to discriminate four extant species from the Chad-Chari hydrographic system. Six of these characters are defined on pectoral spines and five on dorsal spines. We then show that these characters can be used successfully for identifying fossil specimens. In particular, we present a case study in which we identify Synodontis cf. schall and Brachysynodontis cf. batensoda in the hominid-bearing sector Toros-Menalla (Late Miocene, northern Chad). We show that spine anatomy can be a powerful tool to recognise catfish species through time and thus to identify historical diversity pattern.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the French Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur, de la Recherche et de la Technologie (CNRS; Université de Poitiers) and the Chadian authorities (Ministère de l'Education Nationale et de la Recherche, Université de N'Djaména, CNAR). We extend our gratitude to the French Ministère des Affaires Etrangères and to the Région Poitou-Charentes for their support, and to the members of the Mission Paléoanthropologique Franco-Tchadienne. The MPFT fieldwork is also supported by a NSF/RHOI grant. E. Fara acknowledges a CNRS postdoctoral grant. We thank the reviewers and the editor for their comments on the manuscript. Drawings by A. Pinton.

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  1. Laboratoire de Géobiologie, Biochronologie et Paléontologie humaine, UMR 6046 du CNRS, Université de Poitiers, 86022, Poitiers cedex, France

    Aurélie Pinton, Emmanuel Fara & Olga Otero

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  1. Aurélie Pinton
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  2. Emmanuel Fara
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  3. Olga Otero
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Correspondence to Aurélie Pinton.

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Pinton, A., Fara, E. & Otero, O. Spine anatomy reveals the diversity of catfish through time: a case study of Synodontis (Siluriformes). Naturwissenschaften 93, 22–26 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-005-0051-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-005-0051-4

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