Molecular Taxonomy of South Africa’s Catsharks: How Far Have We Come?

Staden, Michaela van; Ebert, David A.; Gennari, Enrico; Leslie, Robin W.; McCord, Meaghen E.; Parkinson, Matthew C.; Watson, Ralph; Wintner, Sabine P.; Silva, Charlene da; Merwe, Aletta E. Bester‐van der

doi:10.3390/d15070828

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 98 publications

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“…As concerns the quite divergent sequences retrieved in public repositories, obtained from specimens caught outside the Mediterranean Sea, they were analyzed using several species delimitation methods, recently applied to other elasmobranch species to address identification issues and solve taxonomic uncertainties [ 3 , 6 , 7 , 89 , 90 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

I Like This New Me: Unravelling Population Structure of Mediterranean Electric Rays and Taxonomic Uncertainties within Torpediniformes

Melis,

Di Crescenzo,

Cariani

et al. 2023

Animals

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The present study focused on the three species of electric rays known to occur in the Mediterranean Sea: Torpedo torpedo, Torpedo marmorata and Tetronarce nobiliana. Correct identification of specimens is needed to properly assess the impact of fisheries on populations and species. Unfortunately, torpedoes share high morphological similarities, boosting episodes of field misidentification. In this context, genetic data was used (1) to identify specimens caught during fishing operations, (2) to measure the diversity among and within these species, and (3) to shed light on the possible occurrence of additional hidden species in the investigated area. New and already published sequences of COI and NADH2 mitochondrial genes were analyzed, both at a small scale along the Sardinian coasts (Western Mediterranean) and at a large scale in the whole Mediterranean Sea. High levels of genetic diversity were found in Sardinian populations, being significantly different from other areas of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea due to the biotic and abiotic factors here discussed. Sardinian torpedoes can hence be indicated as priority populations/areas to be protected within the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, sequence data confirmed that only the three species occur in the investigated area. The application of several ‘species-delimitation’ methods found evidence of cryptic species in the three species outside the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in other genera/families, suggesting the urgent need for future studies and a comprehensive revision of the order Torpediniformes for its effective conservation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

I Like This New Me: Unravelling Population Structure of Mediterranean Electric Rays and Taxonomic Uncertainties within Torpediniformes

Melis,

Di Crescenzo,

Cariani

et al. 2023

Animals

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Marine catfishes (Ariidae—Siluriformes) from the Coastal Amazon: mitochondrial DNA barcode for a recent diversification group?

Lutz,

Martins,

Santana

et al. 2024

PeerJ

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Background Ariidae species play a significant role as fishing resources in the Amazon region. However, the family’s systematic classification is notably challenging, particularly regarding species delimitation within certain genera. This difficulty arises from pronounced morphological similarities among species, posing obstacles to accurate species recognition. Methods Following morphological identification, mitochondrial markers (COI and Cytb) were employed to assess the diversity of Ariidae species in the Amazon. Results Our sampling efforts yielded 12 species, representing 92% of the coastal Amazon region’s diversity. Morphological identification findings were largely corroborated by molecular data, particularly for species within the Sciades and Bagre genera. Nonetheless, despite morphological support, Cathorops agassizii and Cathorops spixii displayed minimal genetic divergence (0.010). Similarly, Notarius quadriscutis and Notarius phrygiatus formed a single clade with no genetic divergence, indicating mitochondrial introgression. For the majority of taxa examined, both COI and Cytb demonstrated efficacy as DNA barcodes, with Cytb exhibiting greater polymorphism and resolution. Consequently, the molecular tools utilized proved highly effective for species discrimination and identification.

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Molecular Taxonomy of South Africa’s Catsharks: How Far Have We Come?

Cited by 2 publications

References 98 publications

I Like This New Me: Unravelling Population Structure of Mediterranean Electric Rays and Taxonomic Uncertainties within Torpediniformes

I Like This New Me: Unravelling Population Structure of Mediterranean Electric Rays and Taxonomic Uncertainties within Torpediniformes

Marine catfishes (Ariidae—Siluriformes) from the Coastal Amazon: mitochondrial DNA barcode for a recent diversification group?

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