Molecular identification of cryptic diversity in species of cis-Andean Mylossoma (Characiformes: Serrasalmidae)

Abstract

Mylossoma is a Serrasalmidae genus with only two current valid species in the cis-Andean region but with several available names, today considered as junior synonymous. Morphological information combined with single-locus DNA sequences of cytochrome c oxidase I gene analysed by Barcode Index Number and General Mixed Yule Coalescent model were used in the present study to help the recognition of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) in cis-Andean Mylossoma and discuss species boundaries within the genus. Five OTUs were recognized based on both morphological and molecular approaches. The analysis using the Barcode Index Number resulted in five OTUs, with M. duriventre being split in one unity in the Amazon, one in the Orinoco, one in Paraná-Paraguay and one in Tocantins-Araguaia which is coherent with our morphological results.

Keywords:

• DNA barcoding
• GMYC
• neotropical
• species complex

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Gleisy Avelino Santos for her help during the extraction and sequencing procedures and to Valéria Nogueira Machado from Universidade Federal do Amazon and Dr. Mauro Nirchio from Universidad de Oriente for their donation of tissues.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest and are alone responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Funding information

This research was supported by the Brazilian agencies CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico), CAPES/PROEX (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior/Programa de Excelência Acadêmica) and FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo).