Phylogenetic of Marble Goby (Oxyeleotris marmorata Blkr.) in South Sumatra Based on Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit I (COI) Gene

Marble goby (Oxyeleotris marmorata) in Indonesia, spread across Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua. The purpose of this study was to utilize a sequence of mitochondrial DNA Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I gene, to analyze the phylogenetic tree and genetic distance between cultured and captured populations. This research was conducted on March-August 2020. The methods used in barcoding species were DNA isolation, amplification using PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and sequencing of the COI mtDNA gene. The domesticated samples (n=3) were collected from Gandus Fish Seed Center (GFSC), while the wild samples (n=3) were captured from the Musi River in Beruge Village, Babat Toman District, both in Musi Banyuasin Regency. The sequenced COI mtDNA gene fragments were obtained from the PCR method. Three samples performed good PCR results, while the other three didn’t amplify properly. After the editing process, the COI gene sequencing produced a nucleotide length of 610 bp. Based on the BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool), domesticated marble goby (OMD2, OMD3) was in the same cluster with marble goby from the Musi River (OMS3). The genetic distance indicated that two specimens of domesticated marble goby were 100% identical, while the wild (OMS3) indicated a genetic distance of 0.0066 to domesticated species.

Oxynoemacheilus sarus, a new nemacheilid loach from the lower Ceyhan and Seyhan in southern Anatolia (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae)

Oxynoemacheilus sarus, new species, is described from the lower Ceyhan and Seyhan drainages in southern Anatolia. It is distinguished from other Oxynoemacheilus species in Cilicia (including the Göksu, Seyhan and Ceyhan drainages) by possession of a series of irregularly shaped midlateral blotches, 3–5 dark-brown bands on the caudal fin, a complete lateral line, a forked caudal fin (shortest middle caudal-fin ray is 56–70% of longest ray of the upper caudal-fin lobe), the caudal peduncle depth 1.4–1.8 times in its length, and a suborbital groove in male individuals. The new species occurs in sympatry with superficially similar O. seyhanicola and O. evreni, and is distinguished by colour pattern as well as morphometric and molecular characters. Molecular data suggest that the closest relatives to the new species in our dataset are O. euphraticus and O. shehabi, which is characterised by a minimum K2P distance of 3.6% and 3.8%, respectively, in the COI mtDNA barcode region.

Oxynoemacheilus shehabi, a new nemacheilid loach from the upper Orontes in southern Syria (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae)

Oxynoemacheilus shehabi, new species, is described from the upper Orontes in southern Syria. It is distinguished from other Oxynoemacheilus species in the Levant by possession of a complete lateral line, a deeply emarginate caudal fin, a narrow caudal peduncle, a suborbital groove in male individuals, a well-developed pelvic axillary lobe, and 5–7 dark-brown bars on the flank. Molecular data suggest that the new species is characterised by a minimum K2P distance of 3.8% to O. “seyhanicola” in the COI mtDNA barcode region.

Integrative taxonomy: combining molecular and morphological characteristics to identify Lymnaea (Galba) cubensis, intermediate host of Fasciola hepatica

Despite the epidemiological importance of the Lymnaeidae family regarding transmission of Fasciola hepatica, knowledge about the diversity and distribution of these molluscs and the role of each species in the expansion of fasciolosis remains sparse. Classical morphological (n=10) identification was performed in lymneids from Lagoa Santa, a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, along with molecular and phylogenetic analysis (n=05) based on the partial nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI mtDNA) and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer II (ITS-2 rDNA). The shell morphology made it possible to distinguish the lymneids of Lagoa Santa from Pseudosuccinea columella. Differences found in the penile complex and prostate shape allowed this species to be distinguished from Galba truncatula. However, the homogeneity of reproductive tract characteristics among Lymnaea (Galba) cubensis, L. viator and L. neotropica confirmed that these characteristics show low taxonomic reliability for identifying cryptic species. Genetic divergence analysis for the COI mtDNA gene and ITS-2 region of rDNA revealed greater similarity to Lymnaea (Galba) cubensis. Thus, correct species differentiation is important for monitoring the epidemiological risk of fasciolosis in the state of Minas Gerais, where cases of the disease have increased over recent years.

Genetic Diversity of Autochthonous and Introduced Mollusk Species Cultivated in the Black Sea

В настоящее время в мирихозяйствах Чёрного моря интенсивно выращиваются три вида двустворчатых моллюсков: тихоокеанская, или гигантская, устрица (Crassostrea gigas, (Thunberg, 1793)), интродуцированная из Дальневосточных морей, и два вида аборигенов – мидия (Mytillus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819) и средиземноморский гребешок (Flexopecten glaber (Linnaeus, 1758)). В отношении всех трёх видов выявляются две основные проблемы – точное установление таксономического разнообразия и тенденции в изменениях генетического разнообразия. Все проанализированные устрицы из черноморского питомника могут быть отнесены к виду Crassostrea gigas. В исследованных гаплотипах C. gigas по генам COI и 16S mtDNA обнаруживаются особи, специфические как для Атлантики, так и для Тихого океана. Среди гаплотипов COI mtDNA из питомника Института биологии южных морей (ИнБЮМ) выявлен ранее не известный гаплотип (MF663324), который является специфическим для Крымской популяции культивируемых C. gigas. Нуклеотидные последовательности фрагмента гена COI у исследуемых особей мидий Чёрного моря при соотношении с последовательностями M. edulis и M. trossulus формировали общую филогенетическую группу, отличающуюся от M. californuanus. Это позволяет уверенно отнести исследованных нами особей к комплексу «голубой мидии». Все изученные экземпляры гребешка из заливов озера Донузлав были идентифицированы по гену 16S как вид Flexopecten glaber и одновременно как вид F. proteus. Если экземпляры из Донузлава имели р-расстояние от F. glaber 0.2%, то от F. proteus – 0.1%. Это свидетельствует о том, что виды F. glaber и F. proteus входят в один таксономический комплекс и являются таксономическими синонимами. Таким образом, в Чёрном море обитают следующие виды двустворчатых моллюсков: Crassostrea gigas, Mytillus galloprovincialis и Flexopecten glaber. Все они характеризуются существенным падением гаплотипического разнообразия, а чужеродный вид – тихоокеанская устрица – ещё и снижением нуклеотидного разнообразия. Currently, three species of bivalved mollusks are intensively grown in the Black Sea world farms: Pacific or giant, oyster (Crassostrea gigas, (Thunberg, 1793)) introduced from the Far Eastern Seas and two autochthonous species – mussel (Mytillus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819) and Mediterranean fan shell (Flexopecten glaber (Linnaeus, 1758)). In relation to all three species two main problems are identified – the exact establishment of taxonomic diversity and the trends in changes in genetic diversity. All analyzed oysters from the Black Sea fish hatchery can be assigned to the species Crassostrea gigas. In the studied C. gigas haplotypes individuals specific to both the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean are found by COI and 16S mtDNA genes. Among the haplotypes of COI mtDNA from the fish hatchery of the Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas (IBSS) a previously unknown haplotype (MF663324) was identified which is specific to the Crimean population of cultured C. gigas. Nucleotide sequences of a fragment of the COI gene in the individuals of Black Sea mussels under investigation at a ratio with the sequences M. edulis and M. trossulus formed a common phylogenetic group different from M. californuanus. This allows us to confidently attribute the studied individuals to the blue mussel complex. All studied scallop specimens from Lake Donuzlav bays were identified by the gene 16S as a species of Flexopecten glaber and simultaneously as a species of F. proteus. If the Donuzlav specimens had a p-distance from F. glaber of 0.2%, then from F. proteus – 0.1%. This indicates that the species F. glaber and F. proteus are part of the same taxonomic complex and are taxonomic synonyms. Thus, the following species of bivalve mollusks live in the Black Sea: Crassostrea gigas, Mytillus galloprovincialis and Flexopecten glaber. All of them are characterized by a significant drop in haplotypic diversity and an alien species – the Pacific oyster – also a decrease in nucleotide diversity.

A new leafhopper species of the genus Anagonalia from India (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Cicadellinae)

A new leafhopper species, Anagonalia lapnanensissp. nov., is described from Arunachal Pradesh, India. A morphological variant is also described which, is interpreted as belonging to the same species due to negligible divergence in the COI mtDNA gene. Detailed illustration of males and female are provided.

Madangella koumacensis, a new species of palaemonid shrimps (Decapoda: Palaemonidae) from New Caledonia

A second species of the recently established genus Madangella Frolová & Ďuriš is described from New Caledonia. Although the single available specimen lacks both second pereiopods, the new species distinctly differs from the only other representative of the genus, M. altirostris Frolová & Ďuriš, 2018 from Papua New Guinea, and can be easily distinguished from the latter by the more elongate and distally tapering rostrum, two subterminal ventral rostral teeth, the carpus of the first pereiopod being subequal to the merus length, and the sixth pleomere being short and stout, distinctly less than 2 times longer than deep. The examined specimen was confirmed as representative of a species separate from M. altirostris also by molecular comparisons of the 16S rRNA and COI mtDNA gene markers. The genus Madangella thus currently consists of two southwestern Pacific species.

Comparative Phylogeography and Integrative Taxonomy of Ochlerotatus caspius (Dipera: Culicidae) and Ochlerotatus dorsalis

Given that accurately identifying pathogen vectors is vital for designing efficient mosquito control programs based on the proper surveillance of the epidemiologically important species, it has been suggested the complementary use of independently evolving genes and morphometric traits as a reliable approach for the characterization and delimitation of related species. Hence, we examined the spatial distribution of COI mtDNA and ITS2 rDNA variation from the historical perspective of Ochlerotatus caspius (Pallas, 1771) and O. dorsalis (Meigen, 1830), while simultaneously testing the utility of the two markers in integrative species delimitation when combined with phenotypic character analyses of larvae and adults. Despite the striking difference in haplotype diversity (high in COI mtDNA, low in ITS2 rDNA), no evident phylogeographic structure was apparent in the Palearctic O. caspius. The Holarctic O. dorsalis species was subdivided into two highly distinctive COI mtDNA phylogroups which corresponded to the Nearctic and Palearctic regions. Strong support for the independence of the two allopatric evolutionary lineages suggested that geographical barrier and climatic changes during Pleistocene caused vicariance of the ancestral range. COI mtDNA reliably distinguished O. caspius and O. dorsalis, while ITS2 rDNA yet again lacked the proper resolution for solving this problem. An integrative approach based on the larval and adult morphological traits have varying taxonomic applications due to their differential diagnostic values. Thus, by the implementation of an integrative taxonomic approach, we successfully detected species borders between the two epidemiologically relevant species and uncovered the presence of cryptic diversity within O. dorsalis.

Taxonomic revision of Aegla lata Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 (Decapoda: Anomura: Aeglidae), with the description of a new species of Aegla Leach, 1820 from the Upper Paraná Ecoregion, Brazil

Aegla lata Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 is considered extinct in the type locality. New populations of this species, however, have been found in northern Paraná state, Brazil. We revised the taxonomy of A. lata based on morphological data obtained from the type material and specimens recently obtained from streams of the Tibagi River sub-basin, Paranapanema River basin, Upper Paraná Ecoregion. Moreover, Aegla jacutingan. sp. is described and illustrated. The new species resembles A. lata in the shapes of the body and chelipeds. Both species are nevertheless separated by particular morphological characters of the carapace, chelipeds, and epimeron as well as by molecular (COI mtDNA) differences. Both species can be distinguished from their congeners based on morphological and molecular evidence.

Phylogenetic analysis of Michigan’s freshwater sponges (Porifera, Spongillidae) using extended COI mtDNA sequences

Kolomyjec et al. (2020). Phylogenetic analysis of Michigan’s freshwater sponges (Porifera, Spongillidae) using extended COI mtDNA sequences. – Zoologica Scripta, 00, 000-000. The phylogenetic relationships of eight species of freshwater sponges sampled throughout the State of Michigan in the North American Great Lakes region were examined as part of a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). An extended version of the standard cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) metazoan DNA was used for sequencing and Bayesian phylogenetic inference. The extended gene region (COI-ext) produces a 1,200 bp amplicon instead of the standard 640 bp fragment which compensates for the standard amplicon’s low informatics value in Phylum Porifera. The species examined clustered into strongly supported monophyletic species groups within the family Spongillidae. This study represents the first look at the phylogenetic relationships of freshwater sponges in the Great Lakes Region.Per Kolomyjec, College of Science and the Environment, Lake Superior State University, 650 W Easterday Ave., Sault Sainte Marie, MI 49783, USA. E-mail [email protected]