> That reminds me...do you guys think that welaka & hubbsi should be in
> the same genus or subgenus as the rest? I thought they came up with the
> "Ptero" to keep them separate, but now they're all lumped together
> again. It seems obvious to me that their finnage should set them apart,
> but then I'm a diehard "splitter." Oh, sure, they're pretty similar in
> lots of ways, but their different in about as many. Ah, well. I think I
> heard a rumor that the group was being reworked again?
The classification and total number of species in Pteronotropis is in a
state of flux. As far as I know, seven species are recognized, but genetic
analyses of hubbsi and welaka show that they are not related to other
members of the genus (Simons et al., 2000) and may warrant separate generic
status. The remaining five members may eventually number seven (or more)
once ichthyologists finish sorting through the various "races" that comprise
the sailfin shiner complex. (Expect metallicus to be reinstated soon.)
Simons, A. M., K. E. Knott, and R. L. Mayden. 2000. Assessment of monophyly
of the minnow genus Pteronotropis (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). Copeia 2000 (4):
1068-1075.
Chris Scharpf
Baltimore
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