Molecular identification of Brachygenys and Haemulon species (Perciformes: Haemulidae) from the Brazilian coast

Abstract

The fishes of the Haemulidae family are currently allocated to 19 genera with a worldwide distribution in the tropical and subtropical waters of the world’s oceans. Brachygenys and Haemulon are important genera of reef fish in Brazil, as they occur in large shoals, which are both ecologically and commercially valuable. This study identified the Brazilian species of the genera Brachygenys and Haemulon using DNA barcodes. While we found only a single lineage in Brachygenys chrysargyrea, Haemulon melanurum, H. parra, and H. squamipinna, more than one molecular operational taxonomic unit (MOTU) was identified in H. atlanticus, H. aurolineatum, and H. plumieri, indicating the possible existence of discrete populations or cryptic species.

DNA Barcoding and Species Delimitation for Dogfish Sharks Belonging to the Squalus Genus (Squaliformes: Squalidae)

“…Genetic distance employing DNA barcoding is a strong indicator of lineages or species Ward et al [59], Hubert et al [60], and Pereira et al [61] suggested COI distances from 1% [60] to 2% [59,61] as thresholds for fish species. However, as highlighted by Ramirez et al [62], such values were derived from comparative analyses among phylogenetically diverse groups, whereas DNA barcoding analyses of closely related groups of species may result in lower values [21,25,61,63,64].…”