Unrecognized species diversity and endemism in the cichlid genus Bujurquina (Teleostei: Cichlidae) together with a molecular phylogeny document large-scale transformation of the western Amazonian river network and reveal complex paleogeography of the Ecuadorian Amazon

Bujurquina is the most widely distributed and species-rich genus of cichlids in the western Amazon of South America, yet beyond a few taxonomic studies remains almost completely unknown. We use a newly obtained collection of Bujurquina specimens which for the first time provides a representative sampling throughout its whole distribution area. Based on morphological and molecular data, we provide the first phylogenetic analyses of the genus, review the diversity of species in the genus and interpret its evolution with focus on the Bujurquina fauna of Ecuador. The Bujurquina fauna of Ecuador presently includes only two supposedly endemic species (B. zamorensis and B. pardus) plus based on some studies two to three Peruvian species, which we find to be erroneous. Our results identify in Ecuador at least 12 species, 11 of which are also identified in the molecular phylogeny. The large-scale phylogeny and biogeography of Bujurquina in the western Amazon are found to be in very good agreement with geological evolution of the western Amazon. Over the smaller scale of the Ecuadorian Amazon, our results for the first time reveal a complex paleogeography with a reconstructed river network reconfiguration.