Integrative systematics unveils the controversial identity of Engraulidae fishing stocks in a Neotropical estuary, northeast Brazil

Abstract

In Brazil, the use and diversity of the common names of fish species, coupled with taxonomic uncertainties, hinder the reliability of fishing statistical data. In this scenario, there are the so-called pilombetas of the São Francisco River, an important fishing resource in region. Despite its importance, the real diversity of species identified in the area remains obscure. In order to properly identify and delimit the species popularly known as pilombetas, an integrative approach involving traditional taxonomy, geometric morphometrics and molecular systematics was applied. Results from geometric morphometrics and molecular analyses were consistent with the results of the traditional morphological analysis, also indicating the delimitation of six taxa belonging to Engraulidae in the lower São Francisco River. In addition, species delimitation methods revealed an intrapopulation genetic divergence of 1.7% for Lycengraulis grossidens. The results revealed that the currently known richness species of Engraulidae in the studied area has been underestimated. Thus, an updated taxonomic key is herein proposed for the Engraulidae species from the lower São Francisco River and estuary. The integrative analysis approach revealed to be effective to address taxonomic questions and help the management of stocks, ensuring the maintenance of local diversity of fishes in the Neotropical region.

Redescription of Anchoviella cayennensis (Puyo, 1945) (Clupeiformes: Engraulidae), with the synonymization of Anchoviella sanfranciscana Barbosa, Gomes da Silva, da Rocha Araújo & Carvalho, 2017 and remarks on Anchoviella perfasciata (Poey, 1860)

“…Anchoviella sanfranciscana Barbosa et al ., 2017: 162, figures 2, 3 and 5 (type locality: northeastern Brazil, São Francisco River estuary between the cities of Brejo Grande, state of Sergipe, and Piaçabuçu, state of Alagoas, Brazil); Vicente et al ., 2020: 3 (mentioned as a possible junior synonym of A. cayennensis based on unpublished data); Birge et al ., 2021 (Supplementary Data, conservation status).…”

Fish fauna from the estuaries of Ceará state, Brazil: a checklist in support of conservation of the Brazilian semiarid coast

“…We identified our specimens to the lowest taxonomic category based on original descriptions, taxonomic reviews or dichotomous keys following Araújo et al (2004), Britski et al (1984), Carpenter (2002aCarpenter ( , 2002b, Carvalho et al (2020), Carvalho-Filho et al (2019); Deckert and Greenfield (1987), Figueiredo and Menezes (1978, 2000, Fischer et al (2011), Frable et al (2013), Garcia Jr. et al (2010, Géry (1977), Hui and Ng (2005), Loeb and Figueiredo (2014), Lourie et al (2016, Marceniuk (2005), Marceniuk et al (2012Marceniuk et al ( , 2019aMarceniuk et al ( , 2019b, Figueiredo (1980, 1985), Menezes et al (2015), Moura and Lindeman (2007), Pezold and Cage (2001), Tencatt et al (2017), Vicente et al (2020) and Sabaj et al (2022), and we adopted the systematic classification and nomenclature of valid names following Fricke et al (2022).…”

Identificación de cuatro especies de Clupeiformes (Actinopterygii) mediante análisis de secuencias de ADN mitocondrial en zonas de explotación pesquera del Golfo de Nicoya, Costa Rica

“…El orden Clupeiformes incluye especies conocidas como arenques, sardinas y anchovetas, todas de gran importancia comercial para las pesquerías globales. Asimismo, abarca familias como Chirocentridae, Clupeidae, Denticipitidae, Dussumieriidae, Engraulidae Pristigasteridae y Sundasalangidae; sin embargo, la taxonomía de especies de las familias Clupeidae y Engraulidae aún sigue siendo controversial en términos morfológicos y genéticos (Li & Ortí, 2007;Bloom & Lovejoy, 2014;Vicente et al 2020).…”