Abstract
In the province of Misiones (Argentina), the filling of the Yacyretá Reservoir (Argentina-Paraguay) to its final dimensions in 2011 formed new aquatic ecosystem, e.g., Garupá Stream was converted into a subreservoir. Reports have been made in this stream of adult individuals and spawning of the Family Sciaenidae, excellent colonizers of modified environments. The larvae of this family are morphologically similar, particularly among Pachyurus and Plagioscion species, making taxonomic differentiation difficult. In the present work, sciaenidae larvae were characterized molecularly at the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene in order to determine which species use this environment for reproduction. Additionally, genetic distances, Barcode Index Number (BIN) and Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery method (ABGD) were estimated and phylogenetic trees were reconstructed. The results indicated the presence of Plagioscion ternetzi and Pachyurus bonariensis larvae, and for the first time in tributaries of the region, Plagioscion squamosissimus. The incorporation of P. bonariensis and P. squamosissimus to the faunistic assemblage of ichthyoplankton in the Garupá Stream supports better characterization of the species richness of this secondary watercourse modified by the Yacyretá Reservoir, and advancement in our understanding of use of this area for reproduction.
Highlights
The identification of adult fishes relies on clearly defined criteria based on external morphological characters, making precise identification possible for everyone, from amateur anglers to professional taxonomists (Strauss & Bond 1990)
The results of the present work show the presence of larvae with morphologically distinctive characteristics of the Family Sciaenidae in Garupá Stream
Molecular identification using the c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene allowed recognition of three species in the analyzed material based on the comparison to the totality of the DNA sequences available in GenBank and Barcode of Life Data (BOLD), i.e. Plagioscion ternetzi, Pachyurus bonariensis and Plagioscion squamosissimus
Summary
The identification of adult fishes relies on clearly defined criteria based on external morphological characters, making precise identification possible for everyone, from amateur anglers to professional taxonomists (Strauss & Bond 1990). The study of ichthyoplankton is a developing field and includes the identification of larvae to the lowest possible taxonomic level, which permits the analysis of fish population dynamics, detection of occurrence and intensity of reproductive activity, as well as an understanding of habitat use during reproduction and early ontogeny (Ko et al 2013) This identification is possible through use of the DNA barcode (Hebert et al 2003) based on the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) marker which has proven effective for species identification, even in cryptic or difficult to identify species (Carvalho et al 2011, Cabrera et al 2017, Cardoso et al 2018, Pereira et al 2011, An Acad Bras Cienc (2020) 92(1). In the Garupá Stream in particular, there are records of large spawns of sciaenids, and the presence of adult Plagioscion ternetzi and Pachyurus bonariensis is periodically verified (Flores et al 2009) These species present larval stages with very similar morphological characteristics, which makes it difficult to taxonomically differentiate between them at larval stages (Lakra et al 2009, Taguti et al 2015). In the present work, early stages of croakers obtained in the Garupá Stream (Misiones Province) were characterized at the molecular level, with the aim of recognizing the species which utilize this modified environment for reproduction
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