Unraveling a 146 Years Old Taxonomic Puzzle: Validation of Malabar Snakehead, Species-Status and Its Relevance for Channid Systematics and Evolution

Benziger, Allen and Philip, Siby and Raghavan, Rajeev and Anvar Ali, P H and Sukumaran, Mithun and Tharian, Josin C and Dahanukar, Neelesh and Baby, Fibin and Reynold, P and Rema, K V and Radhakrishnan, K and Haniffa, M A and Britz, Ralf and Antunes, Agostinho (2011) Unraveling a 146 Years Old Taxonomic Puzzle: Validation of Malabar Snakehead, Species-Status and Its Relevance for Channid Systematics and Evolution. PLoS ONE, 6 (6). pp. 1-12.

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Abstract

The current distribution of C. diplogramma and C. micropeltes is best explained by vicariance. The significant variation in the key taxonomic characters and the results of the molecular marker analysis points towards an allopatric speciation event or vicariant divergence from a common ancestor, which molecular data suggests to have occurred as early as 21.76 million years ago. The resurrection of C. diplogramma from the synonymy of C. micropeltes has hence been confirmed 146 years after its initial description and 134 years after it was synonymised, establishing it is an endemic species of peninsular India and prioritizing its conservation value.

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