Proposed synonymy for Micropogonias altipinnis (Günther 1864), Micropogonias ectenes (Jordan & Gilbert 1882), and Micropogonias megalops (Gilbert 1890)

Abstract

Within the Sciaenidae family, the genus Micropogonias is composed of three recognized species along the Pacific coast of Mexico: Micropogonias altipinnis, M. ectenes, and M. megalops. These species exhibit overlapping diagnostic characters, which make species identification difficult. This study ties morphological differences (meristic, morphometry of body, and otolith) with DNA sequences (CO1 and 16S fractions of mtDNA and 28S of nDNA) among Micropogonias species in the Pacific. Meristic analysis showed a latitudinal variation among the three species in the number of rays, the number of gill rakers, and length of the longest spine of the dorsal fin. Discriminant analysis of morphometric characters (body and otolith) showed three morphological entities (p < 0.001). However, the mean genetic divergences among the three species with partial sequences of mtDNA (CO1 and 16S), and nuclear (28S) were lower than those reported at the interspecific level (>2%). Genetic results suggest that the three species are one species and that the differences in meristics and morphometry could be the result of phenotypic plasticity or incipient speciation. In this sense, M. ectenes and M. megalops are proposed as junior synonyms of M. altipinnis.

Keywords:

• CO1
• morphological and molecular characters
• Micropogonias megalops
• Micropogonias ectenes
• Micropogonias altipinnis
• tropical eastern Pacific

Acknowledgements

Oswaldo Morales-Pacheco of Centro Regional de Investigación Pesquera (CRIP) of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca who assisted with sampling of M. altipinnis. Jose M. Grijalva-Chon of the Universidad de Sonora donated five specimens of M. megalops. Ira Fogel of CIBNOR provided editorial services. MEXBOL provided financial support to assist at the Second Fish Barcode of Life World Conference. N.D.V., L.S.V., J.L.O.G., and J.D.A. are fellows of EDI-IPN. L.S.V., J.L.O.G., and J.D.A are fellows of COFAA-IPN. G.S.P. was a recipient of a BEIFI-IPN and a CONACYT fellowship (No. 208401).

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

Funding was provided by IPN-SIP grants 1721 and 20160514, and SEP-CONACYT 2014-236864. Additional funding was received by L.S.V. and Miguel F. Lavín-Peregrina of CICESE from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation (2010-36137).