Bedotia

Taxobox
name = "Bedotia"

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image_width = 250px
image_caption = "Bedotia madagascariensis"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Atheriniformes
familia = Bedotiidae
genus = "Bedotia"
genus_authority = Regan, 1903
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "B. albomarginata"
"B. geayi"
"B. longianalis"
"B. leucopteron"cite journal|url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2007f/zt01520p018.pdf|title=A new species of "Bedotia" (Teleostei: Atherinomorpha: Bedotiidae) from the Rianila drainage of Eastern Madagascar, with redescriptions of "Bedotia madagascariensis" and "Bedotia geayi"|first=Paul V.|last=Loiselle|coauthors=Rodriguez, Damaris|journal=Zootaxa|volume=1520|pages=1–18|year=2007|format=PDF]
"B. madagascariensis"
"B. marojejy"
"B. masoala"cite journal|journal=Copeia|year=2001|issue=2|pages=482–489|title="Bedotia masoala": A New Species of Atherinoid Rainbowfish (Teleostei: Bedotiidae) from the Masoala Peninsula, Northeastern Madagascar|first=John S.|last=Sparks|doi=10.1643/0045-8511(2001)001 [0482:BMANSO] 2.0.CO;2|volume=2001|doilabel=10.1643/0045-8511(2001)001[0482:BMANSO]2.0.CO;2]
"B. tricolor"

"Bedotia" is a genus of the family Bedotiidae of fishes endemic to Madagascar.

Taxonomy

This genus is monophyletic.cite journal|url=http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/5063/1/N2979.pdf|title=Notes on the Anatomy and Relationships of the Bedotiid Fishes of Madagascar, with a Taxonomic Revision of the Genus "Rheocles" (Atherinomorpha: Bedotiidae)|first=Melanie L. J.|last=Stiassny|issue=2979|pages=1–33|date=August 7, 1990|format=PDF] Little is known regarding phylogenetic interrelationships of the numerous populations of "Bedotia" of eastern Madagascar, and the genus is in need of systematic revision. One author synonymized "B. longianalis" and "B. tricolor" with "B. geayi" with no justification. It is apparent that several species of "Bedotia" exist, although many of these are new and await description, whereas the taxonomic status of many nominal species remains uncertain.

A 2004 study supported three major, more or less geographically distinct, clades of "Bedotia", one comprising species with distributions ranging from mid- to southeastern Madagascar ("B. madagascariensis", "B. geayi", and "B. tricolor", plus four undescribed species), another including species restricted to eastern drainages north of the Masoala Peninsula ("B. marojejy", plus four undescribed species), and a third comprising taxa with distributions extending from the Masoala Peninsula southward to the Ivoloina River ("B. longianalis" and "B. masoala", plus three undescribed species). These three clades of "Bedotia" are not readily separated based on coloration or pigmentation pattern.

Description

"Bedotia" species are all under 10 centimetres (4 in) SL, extremely colorful, elongate, and somewhat laterally compressed atherinoid fishes that exhibit varying degrees of sexual dimorphism. Except for coloration and pigmentation, Bedotia are morphologically conservative fishes.cite journal|url=http://research.amnh.org/scicomp/pdfs/Sparks_Smith2004b.pdf|title=Phylogeny and biogeography of the Malagasy and Australasian rainbowfishes (Teleostei: Melanotaenioidei): Gondwanan vicariance and evolution in freshwater|first=John S.|last=Sparks|coauthors=Smith, W. Leo|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume=33|year=2004|pages=719–734|format=PDF|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2004.07.002] All "Bedotia" are sexually dimorphic, with males exhibiting larger adult size, enhanced coloration and pigmentation, as well as pronounced development of the unpaired fins.

Ecology

"Bedotia" is exclusively freshwater, and members are found in small to medium-sized forested rivers and streams, and to a lesser degree in swamps and marshes, along the eastern slope of Madagascar.

References