Complete mitochondrial genome of Ictalurus pricei (Teleostei: Ictaluridae) and evidence of a cryptic Ictalurus species in Northwest Mexico

Abstract

The nominal Yaqui catfish, Ictalurus pricei, is a species of Ictaluridae (Siluriformes) often recorded from Northwest Mexico. Southern distribution members of the I. pricei complex in Northwest Mexico include at least one undescribed species that differs from Yaqui catfish in morphological features, herein called “Sinaloa Catfish”. Sequencing of four geographical mitogenome haplotypes of Yaqui catfish and Sinaloa catfish showed geographical haplotypes of I. pricei within a clade of specific identity, close to Sinaloa catfish haplotypes. Our molecular phylogeny represents a working hypothesis supporting information on the evolutionary relationships of the Ictalurus species from Western Mexico and Western USA.

Keywords:

• Cryptic species
• Ictaluridae
• Ictalurus pricei complex
• North America

Acknowledgements

We thank James E. Brooks, Nick Smith, Howard Brandenburg, and Sergio Sánchez-González for field collection assistance. Jae Ahn, Jessica Rosales, Peter Reinthal, and Dean Hendrickson provided tissues of Yaqui catfish. A federal collecting permit was issued by the Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación (SARGAPA, Permiso de Pesca de Fomento DGOPA.03947.250406.1606). A draft of the manuscript was edited by Lloyd Findley.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article. The first author has received a fellowship from the federal Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) for completion of his Master of Science degree studies at the Universidad de Sonora in Hermosillo. The present work was funded by CONACYT.