Data from: Molecular phylogeny of Aphyocharacinae (Characiformes, Characidae) with morphological diagnoses for the subfamily and recognized genera

The subfamily Aphyocharacinae was recently redefined to comprise eight
genera: Aphyocharax, Prionobrama, Paragoniates, Phenagoniates,
Leptagoniates, Xenagoniates, Rachoviscus and Inpaichthys. This new
composition, however, is partly incongruent with results of published
molecular studies especially with regards to the positions of Rachoviscus
and Inpaichthys. Our goal was to investigate the monophyly of
Aphyocharacinae and its interrelationships using three distinct
phylogenetic methodologies: Maximum–likelihood and Bayesian analyses of
molecular data, and also Parsimony analysis of a concatenated molecular
and morphological dataset. All tree topologies recovered herein suggest
that Rachoviscus, Inpaichthys and Leptagoniates pi do not belong to the
Aphyocharacinae. The remaining aphyocharacin taxa analyzed do form a
monophyletic group, which is itself composed of two subgroups being one
comprised of Paragoniates, Phenagoniates, Leptagoniates and Xenagoniates,
and the other comprised of Aphyocharax and Prionobrama. Internal
relationships among these genera are statistically well supported and
morphological synapomorphies are presented at the generic level. All tree
topologies also indicate that Aphyocharacidium is closely related to
Aphyocharacinae suggesting that it should be included in this subfamily.
As recognized in the present study, the Aphyocharacinae is diagnosed by a
single morphological synapomorphy: two dorsal-fin rays articulating with
the first dorsal pterygiophore.