Rapid adaptive radiation in a hillstream cyprinid fish in the East African White Nile River basin

Adaptive radiation of freshwater fishes was long thought to be possible only in lacustrine environments. Recently, several studies have shown that riverine and stream environments also provide the ecological opportunity for adaptive radiation. In this study, we report on a riverine adaptive radiation of six ecomorphs of cyprinid hillstream fishes of the genus Garra in a river located in the Ethiopian Highlands in East Africa. Garra are predominantly highly specialized algae-scrapers with a wide distribution ranging from Southeast Asia to West Africa. However, adaptive phenotypic diversification in mouth type, sucking disc morphology, gut length and body shape have probably been found among these ecomorphs in a single Ethiopian river. Moreover, we found two novel phenotypes of Garra (thick-lipped and predatory) that had not been discovered before in this species-rich genus (>160 species). Mitochondrial and genome-wide data suggest monophyletic, intrabasin evolution of Garra phenotypic diversity with signatures of gene flow from other local populations. Although sympatric ecomorphs are genetically distinct and can be considered to being young species as suggested by genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism data, mitochondrial DNA was unable to identify any genetic structure suggesting recent and rapid speciation events. Some data suggest a hybrid origin of the novel thick-lipped ecomorph. Here we highlight how, driven by ecological opportunity, an ancestral trophically highly specialized lineage is likely to have rapidly radiated in a riverine environment promoted by the evolution of novel feeding strategies.

Automated summary

Recent studies have shown that riverine and stream environments also provide ecological opportunity for adaptive radiation of freshwater fishes. This study reports on a riverine adaptive radiation of six ecomorphs of cyprinid hillstream fishes in Ethiopia, showcasing phenotypic diversification and the discovery of two novel phenotypes. Genetic data suggest distinct ecomorphs and possible rapid speciation events in this species-rich genus, with some evidence pointing to a hybrid origin of a novel ecomorph.