Meeting Abstract
Barbs are a large group of freshwater cyprinid fishes with over 800 nominal species species in 33 genera spread across Asia, Europe, and Africa. Their morphological and genetic diversity rivals the more well-known cichlid fishes, and they have radiated over a much larger geographic area. Asian barbs are currently the most speciose group; however, this may be due to the paucity of taxonomic work in African taxa. The African small barbs (ASB), Enteromius and related genera, is a group in need of particular study with regards to its morphological variation. Preliminary molecular work recognizes the non-monophyly of Enteromius and suggests additional genera will need to be described or elevated. We used CT scanning examine morphological characteristics of member clades, scanning 138 species at a resolution of 6µm – 71.4µm. We examine the structure of the cranium, pharyngeal jaws, and Weberian apparatus and use 3D geometric morphometrics to describe traits useful for distinguishing clades of ASB. Exemplar taxa for the clades are presented that provide a clearer picture of the pattern of morphological evolution within this group.
