Revalidation and redescription of Serranus knysnaensis Gilchrist, 1904, (Perciformes: Serranidae) with a new distribution record

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5057 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-113
Author(s):  
YONELA SITHOLE ◽  
ELAINE HEEMSTRA ◽  
MONICA MWALE

A southwestern Indian Ocean (SWIO) percoid fish Serranus knysnaensis Gilchrist, 1904, was long synonymised with the comber, Serranus cabrilla (Linnaeus, 1758), from the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean and Black Sea. However, when the species was brought out of synonymy by Heemstra & Heemstra (2004), reasons for this decision were not given. This study aims to revalidate the present taxonomic status of S. knysnaensis using morphological and molecular assessments. The two species are distinguished by the number of circumpeduncular scales (26–34 in S. knysnaensis versus 34–38 in S. cabrilla) and total gill rakers (18–22 versus 22–24). Serranus knysnaensis is also distinct from S. novemcinctus Kner, 1864, the other SWIO species of Serranus, based on total gill raker counts (18–22 versus 31–35). Genetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA barcode (COI) sequences for 17 Serranus species revealed three closely-related monophyletic clusters corresponding to S. cabrilla, S. novemcinctus and S. knysnaensis that were supported (P <0.001) by species delimitation methods. Even though the genetic distances among the three species were the lowest in the genus (1.60−1.99%), these species may be ecomorphs or lineages that have only recently diverged from each other. These three species also have allopatric distributions and our morphological and molecular data thus confirm that S. knysnaensis is a valid species.  

Crustaceana ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Keikhosravi ◽  
Reza Naderloo ◽  
Christoph D. Schubart

Many species and subspecies of Potamon have been described from the easternmost distribution of the genus in the western tributaries of the Indus River. Most of them were synonymised subsequently under the two names of currently valid species known from the region: Potamon gedrosianum Alcock, 1909 and Potamon ruttneri Pretzmann, 1962. Genetic and morphological information, based on mitochondrial 16S rDNA and the first male gonopod (G1), were gathered in the course of the present study. The corresponding results suggest the occurrence of four groups and question the taxonomic status of both species. We also revise the distribution range of both species, in particular that of P. gedrosianum, with a new record from Iran. Overall, the study reveals the need for a major revision using further morphological and molecular data. Because of the complexity of this necessary revision and the incomplete sampling, we here refrain from proposing any taxonomic conclusions.


PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e10076
Author(s):  
Jyothi Kara ◽  
Isabel C. Molina-Acevedo ◽  
Joana Zanol ◽  
Carol Simon ◽  
Izwandy Idris

A vast polychaete fauna is hidden behind complexes of cryptic and pseudo-cryptic species, which has greatly hindered our understanding of species diversity in several regions worldwide. Among the eunicids, Marphysa sanguinea Montagu, 1813 is a typical example, recorded in three oceans and with various species considered its junior synonyms. In South Africa, specimens previously misidentified as M. sanguinea are now known as Marphysa elityeni Lewis & Karageorgopoulos, 2008. Of the six Marphysa Quatrefages, 1865a species recorded from the same region, three have their distributions restricted to South Africa while the others are considered to have worldwide distributions. Here, we evaluated the taxonomic status of the indigenous M. elityeni and investigated the presence of the widespread species Marphysa macintoshi Crossland, 1903 and Marphysa depressa Schmarda, 1861 in South Africa using morphological and molecular data. Our results reveal that M. elityeni is a junior synonym of Marphysa haemasoma, a species previously described from South Africa which is herein reinstated as a valid species. Both M. macintoshi and M. depressa are not present in South Africa and their status as being distributed worldwide deserves further investigation. Marphysa durbanensis Day, 1934 and the new species described here, M. sherlockae n. sp., had been misidentified as M. macintoshi and M. depressa respectively. Thus, the number of Marphysa species with distributions restricted to South Africa increased from three to five. This study reiterates the importance of implementing an integrated taxonomic framework to unravel local biodiversity.


Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4299 (4) ◽  
pp. 529 ◽  
Author(s):  
RALF BRITZ ◽  
ELEANOR ADAMSON ◽  
RAJEEV RAGHAVAN ◽  
ANVAR ALI ◽  
NEELESH DAHANUKAR

An investigation integrating morphological and molecular data to address the taxonomic status of Indian Channa marulius-like fishes reveals the presence of two species within Indian Rivers. As a consequence, Channa pseudomarulius is resurrected as a valid species and removed from the synonymy of C. marulius. Channa pseudomarulius appears to be restricted to the southern Western Ghats region of peninsular India and can be distinguished from the more widespread C. marulius by fewer lateral-line scales, fewer dorsal- and anal-fin rays, fewer vertebrae, and by a difference of about 8% in mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene sequences. Channa marulius and C. pseudomarulius both possess low levels of genetic diversity across their range suggestive of small historical population sizes. This is especially interesting in the case of C. marulius, which is shown to have a large natural geographical range spanning at least the Indian subcontinent and parts of the Indo-Burman ranges in westernmost Myanmar. The synonymy of Channa marulius with Ophicephalus grandinosus, O. theophrasti, and O. leucopunctatus is confirmed based on examination of type specimens. A lectotype is designated for O. grandinosus. 


Author(s):  
Li Ding ◽  
Zening Chen ◽  
Chatmongkon Suwannapoom ◽  
Tan Van Nguyen ◽  
Nikolay A. Poyarkov ◽  
...  

An investigation of the taxonomic status of Pareas hamptoni (Hampton's Slug snake) based on morphological and molecular data revealed a new distinct species from the Golden Triangle region (comprising parts of southern China, and adjacent Laos and Thailand). The new species is shown to be a sister species to P. hamptoni but can be separated from the latter by having 3–5 dorsal scale rows at midbody slightly keeled (vs 5–9 scales strongly keeled); a lower number of ventrals, 170–188 (vs 185–195); and a lower number of subcaudals, 67–91 (vs 91–99). The new species is currently known from northwestern Thailand, northern Laos, and the southern part of Yunnan Province in China at elevations of 1,160–2,280 m a.s.l. We suggest that the new species to be considered of Least Concern (LC) in the IUCN‘s Red List categories. Problems of taxonomy and actual distribution of the P. hamptoni complex are briefly discussed; our results show P. hamptoni is now reliably known only from Myanmar and Vietnam, but its occurrence in Yunnan Province of China is likely.


2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dương Thúy Yên ◽  
Nguyễn Kiệt ◽  
Bùi Sơn Nên ◽  
Nguyễn Văn Thường ◽  
Nguyễn Bạch Loan ◽  
...  

Three Pangasius species including P. krempfi, P. elongatus and P. mekongensis, are economically important. They can be mis-identified due to similar external appreance at small sizes. This study aimed to distinguish these species based on their differences in DNA barcode, COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) gene, and morphological characteristics. Fish with various sizes (>90 samples/species) were sampled at the lower Mekong delta region. Kimura-2 parameter genetic distances based on COI sequences of three species (15 samples, in which, 4 unique sequences were assigned Genbank accession numbers from KT289877 to KT289880) are relatively high, ranging 9.33 – 12.10 %. Morphological measurements show that coutanble traits including numbers of fin rays and the first gill rakers vary in similar ranges but ratios of metric traits are significantly different among three species (P<0.01). Principle component analysis using metric traits sets three species apart. P. elongatus is characterized by elongated body, long caudal preduncle, large eyes, and retangle palatine tooth plates. P. krempfi differs from P. mekongesis in characteristics on their head. The number of sections, shape and length of barbel are different among three species. Phylogenetic relationship of three species based on morphology and COI sequences indicate that P. krempfi is closer to P. mekongenis rather than P. elongatus, and that the distance between P. mekongenis and P. elongatus is the largest.


ZooKeys ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 984 ◽  
pp. 59-81
Author(s):  
Cory S. Sheffield ◽  
Ryan Oram ◽  
Jennifer M. Heron

The bumble bee (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Bombini, Bombus Latreille) fauna of the Nearctic and Palearctic regions are considered well known, with a few species occurring in both regions (i.e., with a Holarctic distribution), but much of the Arctic, especially in North America, remains undersampled or unsurveyed. Several bumble bee taxa have been described from northern North America, these considered either valid species or placed into synonymy with other taxa. However, some of these synonymies were made under the assumption of variable hair colour only, without detailed examination of other morphological characters (e.g., male genitalia, hidden sterna), and without the aid of molecular data. Recently, Bombus interacti Martinet, Brasero &amp; Rasmont, 2019 was described from Alaska where it is considered endemic; based on both morphological and molecular data, it was considered a taxon distinct from B. lapponicus (Fabricius, 1793). Bombus interacti was also considered distinct from B. gelidus Cresson, 1878, a taxon from Alaska surmised to be a melanistic form of B. lapponicus sylvicola Kirby, 1837, the North American subspecies (Martinet et al. 2019). Unfortunately, Martinet et al. (2019) did not have DNA barcode sequences (COI) for females of B. interacti, but molecular data for a melanistic female specimen matching the DNA barcode sequence of the holotype of B. interacti have been available in the Barcodes of Life Data System (BOLD) since 2011. Since then, additional specimens have been obtained from across northern North America. Also unfortunate was that B. sylvicola var. johanseni Sladen, 1919, another melanistic taxon described from far northern Canada, was not considered. Bombus johanseni is here recognized as a distinct taxon from B. lapponicus sylvicola Kirby, 1837 (sensuMartinet et al. 2019) in the Nearctic region, showing the closest affinity to B. glacialis Friese, 1902 of the Old World. As the holotype male of B. interacti is genetically identical to material identified here as B. johanseni, it is placed into synonymy. Thus, we consider B. johanseni a widespread species occurring across arctic and subarctic North America in which most females are dark, with rarer pale forms (i.e., “interacti”) occurring in and seemingly restricted to Alaska. In addition to B. johanseni showing molecular affinities to B. glacialis of the Old World, both taxa also inhabit similar habitats in the arctic areas of both Nearctic and Palearctic, respectively. It is also likely that many of the specimens identified as B. lapponicus sylvicola from far northern Canada and Alaska might actually be B. johanseni, so that should be considered for future studies of taxonomy, distribution, and conservation assessment of North American bumble bees.


PhytoKeys ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 140 ◽  
pp. 33-45
Author(s):  
Chien-Ti Chao ◽  
Bing-Hong Huang ◽  
Jui-Tse Chang ◽  
Pei-Chun Liao

The genus Scutellaria comprises eight species distributed from 50 to 2000 m in Taiwan. Amongst them, S. barbata and S. taipeiensis are very similar on the basis of morphological and plastid DNA sequence information. Therefore, a comprehensive study of the taxonomic status of S. taipeiensis is necessary. We reviewed the herbarium sheets, related literature and protologues and compared morphologies of these two species, as well as their phylogenetic relationships. All evidence, including the diagnostic characters between S. taipeiensis and S. barbata, suggest that they belonged to a single species rather than two. As a result, S. taipeiensis is treated as a synonym of S. barbata.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 333 (1) ◽  
pp. 86 ◽  
Author(s):  
BENWEN LIU ◽  
XUDONG LIU ◽  
QINGHUA WANG ◽  
ZHENGYU HU ◽  
GUOXIANG LIU

Four specimens of Stigeoclonium spp., sampled in China between 2015 and 2016, were identified as the species Stigeoclonium polyrhizum (Chaetophoraceae, Chaetophorales) due to their unique morphology. A large part of the main filament and branches was tightly enclosed by numerous rhizoidal branches, which extended downward to the base of the plant to form an expanded holdfast. S. polyrhizum has previously been regarded as a synonym of S. longipilum or other related species by most phycologists. Therefore, a reassessment of S. polyrhizum based on morphological and molecular data was conducted. Rhizoidal branch development of S. polyrhizum was also described, showing the abundant rhizoidal branches present from the juvenile stage to the mature stage under controlled culture conditions. Phylogenetic evidence, using nuclear-encoded SSU rDNA data, clearly revealed that the Chaetophoraceae diverged into two well-supported sister clades: the Chaetophora-clade and the Fritschiella-clade. S. polyrhizum was included in the Fritschiella-clade instead of the Chaetophora-clade where Chaetophora draparnaldioides (S. longipilum) was found. The morphological and molecular data unambiguously show that S. polyrhizum is a valid species rather than a synonym of S. longipilum or other related species. Thylakoid bands appressed to the periphery of the pyrenoid matrix of S. polyrhizum was also described.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1889-1900
Author(s):  
Vladimir Pešić ◽  
Andrzej Zawal ◽  
Aleksandra Bańkowska ◽  
Milica Jovanović ◽  
Miroslawa Dabert

A new species of water mites from Montenegro and Bulgaria, Atractides anae Pešić sp. nov., is described, combining traditional morphological techniques with the analysis of partial mtDNA COI sequences (DNA-barcodes). Based on our molecular and morphological analysis, the new species is most closely related to the crenobiontic A. pennatus (K. Viets 1920) from which it differs by 6.4 (SD = 1.12)% K2P distance. A dataset including the novel COI sequences of 10 Atractides species from Montenegro and Iran is assembled in order to facilitate further studies on the genus by using molecular tools.


Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4695 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
JOHN W. SHORT ◽  
TIMOTHY J. PAGE ◽  
CHRISTOPHER L. HUMPHREY

Caridina biyiga sp. nov. is described from Leichhardt Springs, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, based on morphological and molecular data. The new species is highly distinctive among its congeners in having the dactylus of pereiopod 5 similar to the dactyli of pereiopods 3–4 and lacking the comb-like row of spiniform setae typical of the genus. The branchial formula is also distinctive for the genus in lacking an arthrobranch at the base of pereiopod 1 and in having a vestigial epipod on maxilliped 1.                Despite the distinctive morphology of the new species, the molecular data did not provide strong support for the recognition of a new genus. Phylogenetic analyses of Australian Caridina using the mitochondrial 16S rDNA gene fragment placed the new species in a well-supported clade containing at least one typical species of Caridina. Within this clade, referred to as the ‘thermophila’ group, Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) genetic distances of 16S rDNA between the new species and sister taxa ranged from 5.1–6.0%. Analyses using the mitochondrial 3’ COI gene fragment from species of the ‘thermophila’ group yielded K2P genetic distances between the new species and its sister taxa ranging from 10.4–15.1%.                A preliminary illustrated key to Northern Territory Caridina is provided. The conservation significance of Leichhardt Springs and its aquatic fauna are also briefly discussed. 


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