Phylogeny and zoogeography of the cyprinid genus Epalzeorhynchos Bleeker (Cyprinidae : Ostariophysi)

A total of 62 variable osteological and external characters was found among the five currently recognized species of Epalzeorhynchos. When the genera Crossocheilus and Paracrossocheilus are combined as the outgroup, only 30 of these characters can be polarized. This includes six autapomorphies. The remaining 24 polarized characters form a data matrix which yields a single, 26-step tree with a Consistency Index (CI) of 1 and a Retention Index (RI) of 1, The analysis was also performed on a combined dataset in which the 32 unpolarized characters (characters for which the combined outgroup was dimorphic) were added and coded as missing data (i.e., "?"), Analyzing this data matrix with all multistate characters ordered generates the same single most-parsimonious tree with a length of 63 steps, a CI of 0.98 and a RI of 0.97, When either Crossocheilus or Paracrossocheilus is used as the sole outgroup, the same single most-parsimonious tree is produced although the numbers of informative characters and some of the polarities differ. Evidence is presented to support the following hypotheses: (1) E, kalopterus + E, frenatus + E. bicolor + E. munensis form a monophyletic group; (2) E. frenatus + E, bicolor + E, munensis form a monophyletic group with E, kalopterus as its sister group; this speciation event is congruent with the predictions of vicariant speciation mode I; and (3) E. bicolor and E. munensis are sister groups, again congruent with vicariant speciation mode I, Evidence presented here also supports the zoogeographical hypothesis that the faunas of the Indochinese region and the Greater Sundas are more closely related to each other than either of them is to the lower Salween basin fauna and that the lower Mekong, Chao Phraya, and Mac Khlong basin faunas are more closely related to each other than any of them is to the Greater Sundas, In addition, the monophyly of Epalzeorhynchos is also preliminarily discussed by including either Paracrossocheilus or Crossocheilus in the ingroup. It is demonstrated that E. bicornis clusters with Paracrossocheilus when Paracrossocheilus is included in the ingroup. It seems likely that the taxonomic position of E. bicornis will be resolved as more fishes of the Crossocheilus group are included in future studies.