Distinction and relatedness – Taxonomic and genetic studies reveal a new species group of goatfishes (Upeneus; Mullidae)

Abstract

Phenotypic and genetic differentiation among goatfish species of the genus Upeneus which had been formerly included in the so-called 'vittatus group' were examined using a comprehensive alpha-taxonomic and barcoding approach. Four of the five species of this group, U. indicus, U. suahelicus, U. supravittatus and U. vittatus, occur in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), while U. parvus occurs in the Western Atlantic. An updated diagnosis of the WIO species, followed by detailed inter-and intraspecific comparison, is provided based on a large set of morphological and colour characters obtained from 134 specimens. The phenotypic comparisons among all five species and the evidence obtained from barcoding analyses of four species support the separation of U. parvus and U. vittatus from the other three more similar and closely related species which form the here newly established suahelicus group. An identification key for this species group is provided that should also minimize possible confusion with U. vittatus and species of the U. stenopsis group, two of which also occur in the WIO. New records for Madagascar and Saudi Arabia (U. suahelicus), Iran and Pakistan (U. supravittatus) and Sudan (U. vittatus) are reported. Application of this integrative approach to other species groups and species of Upeneus and the need to uncover intra-and interspecific distribution patterns and diversity more fully within the suahelicus group are outlined.

Just off the beach: intrageneric distinctiveness of the bandtail goatfishUpeneus taeniopterus(Mullidae) based on a comprehensive alpha-taxonomy and barcoding approach

“…With a reported maximum size of 27 cm SL (Uiblein & Heemstra 2010) it appears to attain much larger size than the other nine species, which range from 9.4 (U. mouthami) to 19 cm SL (U. tragula) (Uiblein & Gouws 2014). These characteristics combined with the differences between the tragula group and the other species and species groups of the genus Upeneus (e.g., Uiblein & Heemstra 2011b;Uiblein & Gouws 2015) indicate the rather distinctive status of U. taeniopterus. However, detailed alpha-taxonomic comparisons with all other 36 currently known Upeneus species (Uiblein & White 2015) have not been conducted yet.…”

“…Collectively, the included data (Table III) represented all six described species groups within Upeneus (with U. filifer excluded): the japonicus, moluccensis, suahelicus, stenopsis, tragula and vittatus groups. Sequences of Mulloidichthys vanicolensis and Parupeneus barberinus, used previously as outgroups (Uiblein & Gouws 2015), were again used as outgroups in the present analysis.…”

“…Methods for obtaining morphometric, meristic and colour data follow Uiblein & Heemstra (2010) and Uiblein & Gouws (2015). Goatfishes may show considerable allometric changes during ontogeny that relate to changes in lifestyle and the possible onset of sexual maturity (Uiblein & Gledhill 2015).…”

“…a GenBank accession numbers as reflected on BOLD. Numbers were retracted from GenBank due to the submission failing an early data release agreement, being incompletely identified at the time of submission (see Table I in Uiblein & Gouws 2015). b Uiblein & Gouws (2015: Table I).…”

“…Numbers were retracted from GenBank due to the submission failing an early data release agreement, being incompletely identified at the time of submission (see Table I in Uiblein & Gouws 2015). b Uiblein & Gouws (2015: Table I). e The specimen from which this sequence was derived is a paratype of U. heemstra, as per Uiblein & Gouws (2014), but is still recorded as U. tragula in GenBank and BOLD (see Uiblein & Gouws 2015: Table I).…”