I Like This New Me: Unravelling Population Structure of Mediterranean Electric Rays and Taxonomic Uncertainties within Torpediniformes
Melis, R;Di Crescenzo, S;Bellodi, A;Mulas, A;Carugati, L;Coluccia, E;Follesa, MC;Cannas, R
2023-01-01
Abstract
The present study focused on the three species of electric rays known to occur in the Mediterranean Sea: Torpedo torpedo, Torpedo marmorata and Tetronarce nobiliana. Correct identification of specimens is needed to properly assess the impact of fisheries on populations and species. Unfortunately, torpedoes share high morphological similarities, boosting episodes of field misidentification. In this context, genetic data was used (1) to identify specimens caught during fishing operations, (2) to measure the diversity among and within these species, and (3) to shed light on the possible occurrence of additional hidden species in the investigated area. New and already published sequences of COI and NADH2 mitochondrial genes were analyzed, both at a small scale along the Sardinian coasts (Western Mediterranean) and at a large scale in the whole Mediterranean Sea. High levels of genetic diversity were found in Sardinian populations, being significantly different from other areas of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea due to the biotic and abiotic factors here discussed. Sardinian torpedoes can hence be indicated as priority populations/areas to be protected within the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, sequence data confirmed that only the three species occur in the investigated area. The application of several 'species-delimitation' methods found evidence of cryptic species in the three species outside the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in other genera/families, suggesting the urgent need for future studies and a comprehensive revision of the order Torpediniformes for its effective conservation.File | Size | Format | |
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torpediniformes.pdf open access
Description: articolo
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Tables S4_AMOVA.pdf open access
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Table S3_Seq_Pub_List.xlsx open access
Description: tabella supp
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59.87 kB | Microsoft Excel XML | View/Open |
Table S1_Searched_Species_List.xlsx open access
Description: figura supplementare
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20.33 kB | Microsoft Excel XML | View/Open |
Table S2_NewSamples_List_ok.xlsx open access
Description: tabella supp
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26.68 kB | Microsoft Excel XML | View/Open |
Figure S1_BAPS.pdf open access
Description: figura supplementare
Type: versione editoriale
Size 428.9 kB
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428.9 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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