Range distribution and contributions to taxonomy of Elops smithi (ELOPIFORMES: ELOPIDAE).

Rodrigo P.C De Sousa,Gláucia C Silva-Oliveira,Denise Sodré,Iracilda Sampaio,Marcelo Vallinoto,Rauquírio M Da Costa,Edivaldo H.C Oliveira,Aurycéia Guimarães-Costa

doi:10.1590/0001-3765201920181240

Rodrigo P.C De Sousa, Gláucia C Silva-Oliveira + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765201920181240

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Abstract

This study presents the first record of Elops smithi for northern Brazil. The evidence suggests this species is being misidentified incorrectly as Elops saurus in estuaries of the Western Atlantic Ocean. Here, morphological, molecular, and cytogenetic evidence identified all ladyfish specimens from one estuary in the region as E. smithi. Thus, at least Elops smithi occurs in the northern coast of Brazil and it is recommended that specimens from this region identified as E. saurus be further investigated with genetic and cytogenetic tools in order to assure a correct species identification.

Highlights

The family Elopidae includes only t h e genus Elops, with seven species distributed throughout the tropics
The present study provides the first records of E. smithi from the region of the Brazilian Amazon estuary and discusses the relative effectiveness of morphological-meristic, molecular, and cytogenetic data approaches for the identification of the species
In the present study the E. smithi larvae were captured in a saline estuary, which is consistent with the data on the larval ecology of E. saurus

Summary

Introduction

The family Elopidae includes only t h e genus Elops, with seven species distributed throughout the tropics. Elops saurus is distributed throughout the northwestern Atlantic, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, and was Biological Sciences. CONTRIBUTIONS TO TAXONOMY OF Elops smithi originally considered to inhabit only the Northern Hemisphere, while E. smithi occurs in the central Atlantic, Bahamas, and the Caribbean Sea, and is sympatric with E. saurus on the southeastern coast of the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico (McBride and Horodysky 2004, McBride et al 2010). The present study provides the first records of E. smithi from the region of the Brazilian Amazon estuary and discusses the relative effectiveness of morphological-meristic, molecular, and cytogenetic data approaches for the identification of the species

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