Preliminary insight into the age and origin of the Labeobarbus fish species flock from Lake Tana (Ethiopia) using the mtDNA cytochrome b gene

The high diversity of Cyprinid fish in Ethiopia’s Lake Tana appears to be an example of ecological differentiation and assortative mating leading to rapid sympatric speciation. Lake Tana’s Labeobarbus species flock consists of 15 morphological and ecological distinct species. This is the first attempt to determine the age and origin and inter-species relationships of Lake Tana’s Labeobarbus species using the mtDNA cytochrome b gene. Analysis of cytchrome b sequences shows that Lake Tana’s species flock appears to be young but the present dataset did not unequivocally support monophyly of Lake Tana’s species. Additional markers are needed to determine whether Lake Tana’s labeobarbs originated from a single or multiple incursion(s) of ancestral L. intermedius in the Lake Tana drainage basin, or the disruption of an ancient continuous riverine population by the emergence of the Tissisat waterfalls. Adaptive radiation and speciation within Lake Tana’s Labeobarbus species flock may have occurred in the last 10,000–25,000 years, following the desiccation of Lake Tana around 17,000 years ago, at the same time as Lake Victoria, however, obtaining more data using other (nuclear) markers is urgently required.