A reappraisal of Stegastes species occurring in the South Atlantic using morphological and molecular data. Issue 1 (January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Souza, Allyson; Rosa, Ricardo; Soares, Rodrigo; Lima-Filho, Paulo; Oliveira, Claudio; Shibatta, Oscar; Molina, Wagner
• Is Part Of: Helgoland marine research. Volume 70:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 14
• Publication Date: 2017-01
• Subjects: Pomacentridae -- Damselfish -- Species delimitation -- Taxonomy -- Insular species; Marine biology -- Periodicals; Marine biology -- Europe -- Periodicals; 578.77
• DOI: 10.1186/s10152-016-0471-x
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1438-387X

Abstract

Abstract The taxonomic status of Pomacentridae species can be difficult to determine, due to the high diversity, and in some cases, poorly understood characters, such as color patterns. AlthoughStegastes rocasensis, endemic to the Rocas atoll and Fernando de Noronha archipelago, andS. sanctipauli, endemic to the São Pedro and São Paulo archipelago, differ in color pattern, they exhibit similar morphological characters and largely overlapping counts of fin rays and lateral-line scales. Another nominal insular species, S. trindadensis, has recently been synonymized withS. fuscus but retained as a valid subspecies by some authors. Counts and morphometric analyses and mitochondrial DNA (COI, 16SrRNA, CytB) and nuclear DNA (rag1 and rhodopsin) comparisons of three insular species (S. rocasensis, S. sanctipauli andS. trindadensis ) and three other South Atlantic species (S. fuscus, S. variabilis andS. pictus ) were carried out in the present study. Analyses of the principal components obtained by traditional multivariate morphometry indicate that the species in general have similar body morphology. Molecular analyses revealed conspicuous similarity betweenS. rocasensis andS. sanctipauli and betweenS. trindadensis andS. fuscus and a clear divergence betweenS. variabilis from Northeast Brazil andS. variabilis from the Caribbean region. Our data suggest thatS. sanctipauli is a synonym ofS. rocasensis, support the synonymy ofS. trindadensis withS. fuscus, and reveal the presence of a likely cryptic species in the Caribbean that has been confused historically withS. variabilis.