PHYLOGENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN 8 AFRICAN SPECIES OF MORMYRIFORM FISH (TELEOSTEI, OSTEICHTHYES) - RESOLUTION OF A CRYPTIC SPECIES, AND REINSTATEMENT OF CYPHOMYRUS MYERS, 1960

Phylogenetic relationships between seven elephantfish species from fiv e genera (Mormyridae) that are endemic to southern Africa, and the Nil e knifefish of the sister family, Gymnarchidae, were determined using biochemical genetic data, behaviour (the waveforms of the electric org an discharge), morphology, and habitat and food preferences. The resul ts confirmed the existence of an undescribed species of Hippopotamyrus , and that H. ansorgii and H. discorhynchus are not congeners. These d istinctions had been suggested by differences in electric organ discha rge waveforms and are here substantiated by morphological and genetic data. We recommend the reinstatement of Cyphomyrus discorhynchus (Pete rs, 1852). Genetic distance (D, Nei, 1972) values suggest confamilial genera (D average of 1.09 for all species studied, and 0.715 for south ern African species), with the exception of the sympatric and congener ic species: H. ansorgii and H. sp. (D = 0.423). Phylogenies based on m orphological and electrophoretic data are congruent. Copyright (C) 199 6 Elsevier Science Ltd.