Correction: Morphological and Genetic Evidence for Multiple Evolutionary Distinct Lineages in the Endangered and Commercially Exploited Red Lined Torpedo Barbs Endemic to the Western Ghats of India

• DOI: 10.1371/annotation/bf1622ea-bb3e-49f7-9d16-f549c05fc584
• Publication Date: 2013-08-31T00:31:38Z
• Authors: Lijo John; Siby Philip; Neelesh Dahanukar; Palakkaparambil H...; Josin Tharian; Rajeev Raghavan; Agostinho Antunes
• Keywords: Endemism; Species complex; Genetic divergence

Red lined torpedo barbs (RLTBs) (Cyprinidae: Puntius) endemic to the Western Ghats Hotspot of India, are popular and highly priced freshwater aquarium fishes.Two decades indiscriminate exploitation for pet trade, restricted range, fragmented populations continuing decline in quality habitats has resulted their 'Endangered' listing.Here, we tested whether isolated RLTB demonstrated considerable variation qualifying be considered as distinct conservation targets.Multivariate morphometric analysis using 24 size-adjusted characters delineated all allopatric populations.Similarly, species-tree highlighted a phylogeny with 12 lineages corresponding each different riverine populations.However, coalescence-based methods mitochondrial DNA markers identified only eight evolutionarily lineages.Divergence time points recent separation populations, owing geographical isolation, more than 5 million years ago, after were split into two ancestral stocks Paleocene, on north south major gap Ghats.Our results revealing existence calls re-determination targets these cryptic endangered taxa.