Complementing morphological classification of Anguilliform leptocephali with DNA barcoding

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Complementing morphological classification of Anguilliform leptocephali with DNA barcoding Alessandra Anibaldi1, Claudia Benassi Franciosi1, Fausto Tinti1, 2, Corrado Piccinetti1 and Giulia Riccioni1* 1 University of Bologna, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Italy 2 University of Bologna, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Italy DNA barcoding is a molecular tool that enables rapid and accurate identification of biological species by sequencing a short, standardized region of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase I ( COI) as internal species tag. The aim of the present study was to use DNA barcoding in addition to classical taxonomy in order to obtain a more reliable species-identification of leptocephali, the characteristic larval forms of the superorder Elopomorpha, often difficult to identify and to match with their adult stage. Based on the examination of external morphology, meristics, and pigmentation, 2785 leptocephalus larvae collected in the Adriatic Sea between 2010 and 2012, were ascribed to 7 morphotypes, belonging to Anguilliform order (Ariosoma balearicum, Conger conger, Gnathophis mystax, Nettastoma melanurum, Dalophis imberbis, Chlopsis bicolor, Facciolella sp.) and 69 specimens were sequenced for a 655 bp region of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (COI) to confirm the previous morphological analysis. The highly consistent results obtained revealed a good performance of COI barcoding as a diagnostic method for the identification of these larvae, but the limited number of leptocephali species annotated in the reference databases for barcode (Barcode of Life Data Systems and GenBank) allowed to validate only partially the morphological analysis. Moreover two species, Gnathophis mystax and Facciolella sp., showed unexpected outcomes. The data obtained in this work represent the first results of a wider project aimed at the creation of a new barcode database for the assessment of leptocephali diversity in the Mediterranean Sea (Barcoding of the Adriatic Leptocephali [BAL]), contributing to the knowledge of these unusual larvae and of their adult forms. Keywords: barcoding, Leptocephali, Adriatic sea, COI, Identification of larvae Conference: XV European Congress of Ichthyology, Porto, Portugal, 7 Sep - 11 Sep, 2015. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Phylogeny, Systematics and Genetics Citation: Anibaldi A, Benassi Franciosi C, Tinti F, Piccinetti C and Riccioni G (2015). Complementing morphological classification of Anguilliform leptocephali with DNA barcoding. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XV European Congress of Ichthyology. doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2015.03.00021 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 24 Oct 2015; Published Online: 04 Nov 2015. * Correspondence: PhD. Giulia Riccioni, University of Bologna, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Fano, 61032, Italy, giulia.riccioni@unibo.it Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Alessandra Anibaldi Claudia Benassi Franciosi Fausto Tinti Corrado Piccinetti Giulia Riccioni Google Alessandra Anibaldi Claudia Benassi Franciosi Fausto Tinti Corrado Piccinetti Giulia Riccioni Google Scholar Alessandra Anibaldi Claudia Benassi Franciosi Fausto Tinti Corrado Piccinetti Giulia Riccioni PubMed Alessandra Anibaldi Claudia Benassi Franciosi Fausto Tinti Corrado Piccinetti Giulia Riccioni Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.