The emerging vertebrate model species for neurophysiological studies is Danionella cerebrum, new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

Britz, Ralf; Conway, Kevin W.; Rüber, Lukas (2021). The emerging vertebrate model species for neurophysiological studies is Danionella cerebrum, new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). Scientific reports, 11(1), p. 18942. Springer Nature 10.1038/s41598-021-97600-0

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The four described species of Danionella are tiny, transparent fishes that mature at sizes between 10–15 mm, and represent some of the most extreme cases of vertebrate progenesis known to date. The miniature adult size and larval appearance of Danionella, combined with a diverse behavioral repertoire linked to sound production by males, have established Danionella as an important model for neurophysiological studies. The external similarity between the different species of Danionella has offered an important challenge to taxonomic identification using traditional external characters, leading to confusion over the identity of the model species. Using combined morphological and molecular taxonomic approaches, we show here that the most extensively studied species of Danionella is not D. translucida, but represents an undescribed species, D. cerebrum n. sp. that is
externally almost identical to D. translucida, but differs trenchantly in several internal characters. Molecular analyses confirm the distinctiveness of D. cerebrum and D. translucida and suggest that the two species are not even sister taxa. Analysis of the evolution of sexual dimorphisms associated with the Weberian apparatus reveals significant increases in complexity from the simpler condition found in D. dracula, to most complex conditions in D. cerebrum, D. mirifica and D. translucida.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Ecology and Evolution (IEE)

UniBE Contributor:

Rüber, Lukas

Subjects:

500 Science > 570 Life sciences; biology

ISSN:

2045-2322

Publisher:

Springer Nature

Language:

English

Submitter:

Marcel Häsler

Date Deposited:

17 Nov 2021 12:24

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 15:54

Publisher DOI:

10.1038/s41598-021-97600-0

PubMed ID:

34556691

BORIS DOI:

10.48350/160656

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/160656

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