Biology subjects

Sales, J. B. L.

Publications and source records attributed to Sales, J. B. L..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Phylogeography of the electric rays of the family Narcinidae (Gill, 1862): systematic review and evidence of the dispersal routes to America.

The electric rays belonging family Narcinidae are a cosmopolitan group, which has come under increasing scrutiny in relation to the taxonomic composition of the family and its phylogenetic position within the order Torpediniformes. Phylogeographic inferences can provide important insights into the present-day distribution of the narcinid species, as well as the systematics of the group. In this context, the present study evaluates the evolutionary and biogeographic history of the family Narcinidae, inferring distribution patterns and the molecular systematics of these organisms based on the DNA barcode. The results of the analysis indicate that the electric rays originated in the Central Indo-Pacific realm, with all other dispersal events beginning from this region. Two different dispersal routes were observed for the American narcinids. The first route was from the Central Indo-Pacific realm to the Pacific Ocean and then the Caribbean Sea, prior to the closure of the Isthmus of Panama. The second route start on Central Indo-Pacific realm passed South Africa continent before crossing the Atlantic. The principal torpediniform lineages diversified between the end of the Cretaceous and the early Paleocene, with the present-day narcinid taxa arising and diversifying between 25 and 20 Mya. The present study confirms the lack of monophyly in the Narcinidae, validates the genus Narcinops, and restricts the occurrence of the genus Narcine to the coastal environments of the Americas, which emphasizes the need for the review and revalidation of the synonym Syrraxis for the narcinids of the Central/Western Indo-Pacific realm. This study also describes additional lineages for Narcine entemedor and Narcine maculata and validates the occurrence of three species (Narcinesp., Narcine brasiliensis, and Narcine bancroftii) in the Atlantic Ocean, based on the published data, and emphasizes the need for a definitive description of Narcine sp.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Molecular identification of whole squids and calamari at fairs and markets in regions of Latin America

In recent decades, the commercial importance of cephalopods has increased considerably, being an important fishing resource around the world. However, during the preparation for commercialization of those species, especially those sold in markets, they suffer the process known as "calamari" which includes removing and separating the head, arm, skin or even having the body structure cut into rings, which ends up making it difficult or often prevents the identification of the species, which can lead to replacements. In this sense, the present study aimed to use the large ribosomal region, rrnL (also known as 16S rDNA) to genetically identify cephalopod species sold in markets and fairs in Latin America. Whole and processed samples were collected from supermarkets and directly from local fishers the approximate collection location. Each generated sequence was submitted to the website Genbank for molecular comparison and included in the database for subsequent genetic identification. Comparison of sequences using the Blastn revealed the presence of eight species that are widely traded in the Latin American region. Our results indicate labeling errors in samples from the State of Para that contained the species Dosidicus gigas (d Orbigny, 1823) found only in the Pacific Ocean and were generically labeled as "National Lula". No type of substitution was found among the samples that were being sold at fairs and markets, only labeling errors. Thus, our results demonstrate the effectiveness of the rrnL for identifying species and evaluating labeling errors.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2023

The role of Miocene-Pleistocene environmental change in diversification of the genus Hypoclinemus Chabanaud, 1928.

The Neotropical region stands out as one of the most taxonomically diverse areas on the planet, garnering significant attention in the context of marine incursions and their role in shaping this diversity. Among marine-derived taxa, pleuronectiform fishes exhibit distinctive morphological characteristics that have attracted significant scientific interest. However, the biogeography of Hypoclinemus mentalis, initially described as Solea mentalis and subsequently assigned to the genus Achirus, was eventually reclassified into its current monotypic genus due to its limited distribution in freshwater environments, in contrast to the species of Achirus. The broad distribution of a single species across multiple South American river basins positions H. mentalis as an ideal candidate for biogeographic studies within South America, with an emphasis on the detection of cryptic lineages associated with major drainage basins. In our study, we employed mitochondrial and nuclear markers to investigate the potential existence of such lineages within the broader context of a molecular phylogeny that encompasses all valid genera in the flatfish family Achiridae. Our findings reveal that Hypoclinemus comprises seven operational taxonomic units (OTUs), as deduced from specimens collected across the majority of its documented range. Furthermore, our phylogeographic analyses support the hypothesis that colonization of freshwater habitats occurred through connections between the Caribbean Sea and Lake Pebas approximately 21.28 million years ago. Moreover, we observed that differentiation of lineages within the Hypoclinemus genus was significantly influenced by pronounced sea level fluctuations during the Plio-Pleistocene epoch, underscoring the impact of glaciations and interglacial periods on the biogeographic patterns.

evolutionary biology↗