Species Of Lutjanidae Research Articles

Phylogenetic Analyses of Pristipomoides (Perciformes: Lutjanidae) Based on New Mitochondrial Genomes

The species in the genus Pristipomoides are commercial fishes with high economic value. There are few studies on the phylogenetic relationship within the genus Pristipomoides at present. mtDNA has the characteristics of maternal inheritance, close gene arrangement, and a high evolutionary rate, which is an excellent tool to study the phylogeny of the species. In this study, the mitochondrial genomes of five species in the genus Pristipomoides were sequenced using the Sanger sequencing method and analyzed for their features. The mitochondrial genome length of the five species ranged from 16,499 to 16,530 bp. The start codon was ATG\GTG, and the stop codon was TAA\TAG\T--\AGG. The ratio of Ka and Ks for protein-coding genes ranged from 0 to 0.117, suggesting a strong purifying selection acting on the 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs). The gene with the highest diversity was nd2 (NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2), suggesting the highest evolutionary rate. Phylogenetic analysis of five Pristipomoides species with other species of Lutjanidae was conducted using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI). The results showed that P. zonatus and P. auricilla were closely related to P. argyrogrammicus and P. sieboldii, respectively, and P. filamentosus and P. multidens clustered together. Furthermore, A. rutilans is deeply nested within the Pristipomoides genus, indicating a close phylogenetic relationship with the species in the Pristipomoides genus. Based on this evidence, we suggest that A. rutilans should be classified under the Pristipomoides genus and recommend a revision in its taxonomy. The molecular data and phylogenetic analysis provided in this study would be helpful for the species identification and phylogenetic studies of the family Lutjanidae.

Molecular identification and first morphological description of the Colorado snapper Lutjanus colorado (Perciformes: Lutjanidae) larvae.

This research study obtained the first morphological description of the Colorado snapper (Lutjanus colorado) larvae assisted by DNA barcoding as a molecular identification tool. Sixteen Lutjanidae larvae were separated from zooplankton samples and selected for this study. A fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) of 658 bp was used in the analyses of intra- and interspecific genetic divergences; a neighbour-joining tree (NJ) of K2P distances was performed with reference sequences of 15 Lutjanidae species from the Northeastern Tropical Pacific. Genetic divergences and the NJ tree identified 16 larvae as L. colorado. Morphological investigations of larvae at different developmental stages were performed; similarities and differences are discussed in comparison to four species described previously for the Northeastern Pacific. Pigmentation patterns were the best diagnostic features, particularly the caudal melanophores, at least up to 12.4 mm body length.

Genetic connectivity in the spotted rose snapper Lutjanus guttatus (Lutjaniformes: Lutjanidae) between Mexico and Panama throughout the Tropical Eastern Pacific

Abstract The spotted rose snapper, Lutjanus guttatus, is an important fishery species with high potential for aquaculture. Genetic characterization of its natural populations is necessary to avoid stock collapse and loss of genetic diversity. Previous studies carried out in the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP), however, have shown contrasting results in the genetic structure of fish populations, particularly in species of Lutjanidae. Therefore, to understand the genetic structure of spotted rose snapper in the TEP, twelve microsatellite loci were used to assess the genetic diversity and explore the hypothesis of population genetic structure in samples of the species collected throughout the TEP. Fin clips from 186 sampled individuals (27 to 49 per site) were analyzed from five sites in the three regional biogeographic provinces, delimited by shoreline reef habitat breaks: La Paz (Cortez province), Colima and Oaxaca (Mexican province), Chiriqui and Port of Panama (Panamic province). Results of global Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA), population pairwise FST, hierarchical AMOVA, and a discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) reflected a panmictic population involving the entire set of sampled sites. The role of larval dispersal, post-recruitment migration, and marine current dynamics as drivers of genetic connectivity in this species is discussed.

Microcotylidae (Monogena) parasites of snappers (Perciformes: Lutjanidae) collected from the northeast coast of Brazil.

Monogeneans are a diverse group of flatworms, being ectoparasites of marine and freshwater fish, with great morphological and ecological variety. Analyzes of monogenetics in fish with great habitat diversity such as snappers are scarce in the literature, which already emphasizes the need for an update in this regard. The presente study found, morphologically characterized and mapped the geographic distribution and in known hosts the species Microcotyloides incisa and Microcotyloides impudicus, describing the first occurrence of these monogeneans for South America and in new hosts. The survey of hosts in the literature shows that M. incisa seems to have a greater Affinity with congener species of Lutjanidae and fish from other families, which may indicate a preference or specificity for fish of this family because they are congeners of their host type. The introduction of these parasites into South American waters may have occurred due to the migratory behavior of snappers, which are well distributed along the Mexican coast, where the parasites are usually reported. Here, we also bring the first occurrence of M. incisa for Lutjanus analis and Lutjanus jocu and M. impudicus for Ocyurus chrysurus and Lutjanus synagris, helping in the mapping and distribution of these monogenetic species in the Americas.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the double-lined fusileer, Pterocaesio digramma (Perciformes, Caesionidae): mitogenome characterization and phylogenetic analysis

The complete mitochondrial genome of the double-lined fusileer, Pterocaesio digramma, which belongs to the family Caesionidae was determined. The complete mitochondrial genome has a length of 16,504 bp and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a control region. P. digramma has a mitochondrial gene arrangement that is typical of vertebrates. Phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial genomes of 15 related species revealed that P. digramma formed a well-supported monophyletic group with the other Caesionidae and Lutjanidae species.

Signal Enhancement of Acoustic Signature of Lutjanidae Family Species in Indian Waters

The present study is to carry out the enhancement of the acoustic signals of Lutjanidae species often found in abundance, in tropic shallow waters. Since most of the studies on Lutjanidae is about its physical structure both internal and external, and its population in sea ie., catches in tons per year. This research work is the first attempt on the acoustical study of Lutjanidae family species call signal. Five species of Lutjanidae family are considered for this study which includes L. analis, L. apodus, L. synagris, L. griseus, and L. jocu). The earlier literature which studied the acoustic toning of marine species vocalization using empirical mode decomposition method [1]. Here in this research, (i) signals with background noise and (ii) enhanced signals are considered for comparison. The enhancement of acoustic signals of Lutjanidae family species is useful as acoustic reference for those working in the field of biological signal processing. The enhancement of the signal is achieved by the logical applications and applying Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT), inverse STFT. From the above two cases considered, the frequency range of 50 to 2500 Hz approximately is clearly noticed in the spectrogram, power spectral density and it shows the frequency of all species looks similar. By listening the sound produced by the species, it is observed to be of type knocking sound.

Deep-reef fish assemblages of the Great Barrier Reef shelf-break (Australia)

Tropical mesophotic and sub-mesophotic fish ecology is poorly understood despite increasing vulnerability of deeper fish assemblages. Worldwide there is greater fishing pressure on continental shelf-breaks and the effects of disturbances on deeper fish species have not yet been assessed. Difficult to access, deeper reefs host undocumented fish diversity and abundance. Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations (BRUVS) with lights were used to sample deeper habitats (54–260 m), in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. Here we describe fish biodiversity, relative abundance and richness, assessing the prediction that depth would drive assemblage structure in the GBR. Distinct groups of fishes were found with depth whilst overall richness and abundance decreased steeply between 100 and 260 m. Commercially-valuable Lutjanidae species from Pristipomoides and Etelis genera, were absent from shallower depths. Few fish species overlapped between adjacent depth strata, indicating unique assemblages with depth. We also detected new location records and potential new species records. The high biodiversity of fish found in shelf-break environments is poorly appreciated and depth is a strong predictor of assemblage composition. This may pose a challenge for managers of commercial fisheries as distinct depth ranges of taxa may translate to more readily targeted habitats, and therefore, an inherent vulnerability to exploitation.

Chemometric identification and nutritional evaluation of three species of Lutjanidae (Perciformes) from the Amazonian Atlantic Coast based on fatty acid profiles

ABSTRACT The fatty acid (FA) profiles of fish species with a similar genetic or geographic origin are important quality parameters that attract bioecological interest because they are influenced by the nutritional habits of the species. The aim of this study was to determine the proximate compositions and FA profiles of heart, brain and muscle tissues from three fish species (Lutjanus purpureus, Lutjanus synagris and Ocyurus chrysurus) captured from the Amazonian Atlantic Coast. In addition to performing nutritional analysis of the FA profiles, principal components analysis (PCA) was performed as a chemometric tool to discriminate among the species. Lutjanus synagris had the highest protein content (18.23%), while O. chrysurus possessed the highest lipid content (4.25%). All of the nutritional quality parameters (the n-6/n-3 and Σ polyunsaturated FA/Σ saturated FA ratios and dietary indices of atherogenicity and thrombogenicity) of the FA profiles of the three species are of interest to consumers. In general, the predominant FA in the tissues of all species analyzed was palmitic acid, followed by stearic acid. Oleic acid was predominant among the monounsaturated FAs, while docosahexaenoic acid was the most prevalent polyunsaturated FA. Chemometric analysis was an effective tool for fish identification. PCA showed that the FA profiles of the brain tissues were optimal for discriminating among the species, with O. chrysurus showing the most different FA profile from the others. The muscle FA profile was the most useful for identifying L. purpureus.

Temporal and Spatial Site Sharing during Spawning in Snappers Symphorichthys spilurus and Lutjanus bohar (Pisces: Perciformes: Lutjanidae) in Waters around Peleliu Island, Palau.

Jiro Sakaue, Hiroshi Akino, Manabu Endo, Hitoshi Ida, and Takashi Asahida (2016) Two species of Lutjanidae, Symphorichthys spilurus and Lutjanus bohar, form spawning aggregation, a large school specifically formed for reproduction. Although they share the same spawning site at the southernmost reef in Peleliu Island, Palau, timing of spawning and their behaviors in the spawning and resting sites differ. Although the spawning behaviors have reported previously, long term and integrated observations documenting the size of the aggregation, exact spawning duration and timing, detailed behavioral profiles, as well as oceanic conditions upon spawning have never been reported. Here, we conducted a comparative study for these species and found behavioral and environmental cues that might be key to differentiate their ecological characteristics. S. spilurus begun to aggregate at full moon. Aggregations of L. bohar on the other hand, started from four days before full moon. Size of the aggregation was > 50,000 in S. spilurus, but about 7,000 in L. bohar. Both species migrated from the resting area to the spawning site in a diel rhythm. S. spilurus started spawning every half- moon, between the full moon and the new moon, while L. bohar spawns on every full moon. The first spawning took place at around dawn but the time shifted. S. spilurus spawned only when the current directs toward the southeast (offshore flow), while L. bohar spawns only when the current directs toward the southwest (tidal flow). Characteristic swimming behavior was observed for S. spilurus, in that, one or few males that could successfully chase the quick-swimming female fish could fertilize the eggs. In contrast, the behavior of L. bohar, was in a manner typical of several other lutjanid fish. The comparative and long-term field observation conducted over 10 years identified clear differences in the spawning behaviors of S. spilurus and L. bohar. Key behavioral and environmental factors found here might be key determinants for the ecology of these species.

The Evolutionary Dynamics of Ribosomal Genes, Histone H3, and Transposable Rex Elements in the Genome of Atlantic Snappers.

Lutjanidae is a family of primarily marine and carnivorous fishes distributed in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans, with enormous economic and ecological importance. In order to better clarify the conservative chromosomal evolution of Lutjanidae, we analyzed the evolutionary dynamics of 5 repetitive DNA classes in 5 Lutjanus and in 1 Ocyurus species from the Western Atlantic. The ribosomal 18S sites were generally located in a single chromosome pair, except for L. jocu and L. alexandrei where they are found in 2 pairs. In turn, the 5S rDNA sites are unique, terminal and nonsyntenic with the 18S rDNA sites. In 3 species analyzed, H3 hisDNA genes were found in 1 chromosomal pair. However, while L. jocu presented 2 H3 sites, O. chrysurus showed a noteworthy dispersion of this gene in almost all chromosomes of the karyotype. Retrotransposons Rex1 and Rex3 do not exhibit any association with the explosive distribution of H3 sequences in O. chrysurus. The low compartmentalization of Rex elements, in addition to the general nondynamic distribution of ribosomal and H3 genes, corroborate the karyotype conservatism in Lutjanidae species, also at the microstructural level. However, some "disturbing evolutionary waves" can break down this conservative scenario, as evidenced by the massive random dispersion of H3 hisDNA in the genome of O. chrysurus. The implication of the genomic expansion of H3 histone genes and their functionality remain unknown, although suggesting that they have higher evolutionary dynamics than previously thought.

Community assemblages of commercially important coral reef fishes inside and outside marine protected areas in the Philippines

Establishment of marine protected areas (MPA) is among the most commonly implemented initiatives for coral reef conservation and fisheries management in the Philippines. However, there are concerns that the MPAs in the country may not work because of their generally small sizes and high fishing pressures from the burgeoning highly resource-dependent population. In this study, we assessed the assemblages of seven commercially important coral reef fish families (Acanthuridae (excluding genus Zebrasoma), Labridae (subfamily Scarinae only), Lutjanidae, Serranidae (subfamily Epinephelinae only), Mullidae, Haemulidae and Lethrinidae) inside and outside MPAs in 37 coastal municipalities in the Philippines. A total of 12,354 individuals belonging to 114 species (33 species of Acanthuridae, 27 species of Scarinae, 17 species of Lutjanidae, 16 species of Epinephelinae, 9 species of Mullidae, 6 species of Haemulidae, and 6 species of Lethrinidae) were recorded. Overall, reef fishes inside MPAs were more diverse than outside MPAs based on Shannon–Wiener index of diversity. Reefs inside MPAs had an average of four more fish species than outside MPAs. Both inside and outside MPAs had comparable equitability values which are characterized by fish communities that are largely dominated by few species only. Higher fish densities, especially fishes with ⩾25cm (total length), were also recorded inside MPAs. However, we also found some patterns suggesting that more efforts must be made in order to effectively protect many of the commercially important coral reef fishes from the impacts of fishing. Our study provides valuable science-based insights that can be used to improve coral reef conservation and fisheries management initiatives in the country. Moreover, it can also serve as crucial information that can be used for monitoring and evaluation of MPA effectiveness, particularly on commercially important coral reef fishes in the country.

Biogeography of tropical Indo-West Pacific parasites: A cryptic species of Transversotrema and evidence for rarity of Transversotrematidae (Trematoda) in French Polynesia

We sought transversotrematid trematodes from French Polynesian fishes by examining 304 individual scaled fishes of 53 species from seven families known to harbour the family elsewhere. A single species was found at two locations in the Tuamotus Archipelago on two species of Chaetodontidae (Chaetodon auriga and Chaetodon ephippium) and one species of Lutjanidae (Lutjanus gibbus). The species closely resembles Transversotrema borboleta Hunter & Cribb, 2012 from chaetodontids and lutjanids of the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) but differs from it consistently in 8 base positions of ITS2 rDNA. This level of variation exceeds that between some clearly morphologically distinct pairs of species of Transversotrema and the form from French Polynesia is thus interpreted as a distinct, though cryptic, species and named Transversotrema polynesiae n. sp. The new species forms part of a complex of species, here characterised as the T. borboleta complex, associated with chaetodontids and lutjanids in the tropical Indo-West Pacific. Most of the putative species within this complex are yet to be described. Comparison of identical numbers of matched samples of fishes from French Polynesia, Heron Island (southern GBR) and Lizard Island (northern GBR) revealed 1, 4 and 10 species of Transversotrema respectively suggesting that the French Polynesian fauna is depauperate for this family. In addition to those species apparently missing from suitable hosts in French Polynesia, several species from further west infect fishes (especially Nemipteridae) that are themselves absent from French Polynesia. This dramatic east–west decline in richness contrasts strongly with what is known for monogeneans, which appear to maintain their richness over the same scale, and is more precipitate than is known for other groups of trematodes. The decline might be explained in part by the absence of the as yet unknown first intermediate hosts in French Polynesia. However, we predict that it is explained by other life cycle traits. We hypothesise that the characters of large short-lived cercariae, short-lived miracidia, the absence in the life-cycle of second intermediate hosts that are capable of transporting the species, and definitive and first intermediate hosts that have limited vagility combine to give marine Transversotrematidae limited dispersal capacity and a propensity for localised speciation.

Establishing species–habitat associations for 4 eteline snappers with the use of a baited stereo-video camera system

With the use of a baited stereo-video camera system, this study semiquantitatively defined the habitat associations of 4 species of Lutjanidae: Opakapaka (Pristipomoides filamentosus), Kalekale (P. sieboldii), Onaga (Etelis coruscans), and Ehu (E. carbunculus). Fish abundance and length data from 6 locations in the main Hawaiian Islands were evaluated for species-specific and size-specific differences between regions and habitat types. Multibeam bathymetry and backscatter were used to classify habitats into 4 types on the basis of substrate (hard or soft) and slope (high or low). Depth was a major influence on bottomfish distributions. Opakapaka occurred at depths shallower than the depths at which other species were observed, and this species showed an ontogenetic shift to deeper water with increasing size. Opakapaka and Ehu had an overall preference for hard substrate with low slope (hard-low), and Onaga was found over both hard-low and hard-high habitats. No significant habitat preferences were recorded for Kalekale. Opakapaka, Kalekale, and Onaga exhibited size-related shifts with habitat type. A move into hard-high environments with increasing size was evident for Opakapaka and Kalekale. Onaga was seen predominantly in hard-low habitats at smaller sizes and in either hard-low or hard-high at larger sizes. These ontogenetic habitat shifts could be driven by reproductive triggers because they roughly coincided with the length at sexual maturity of each species. However, further studies are required to determine causality. No ontogenetic shifts were seen for Ehu, but only a limited number of juveniles were observed. Regional variations in abundance and length were also found and could be related to fishing pressure or large-scale habitat features.

Prototypes and Folk Taxonomy: Artisanal Fishers and Snappers on the Brazilian Coast

This study seeks to investigate the occurrence of prototypes in folk biology (specifically fisher folk taxonomy) and to understand the variables linked to their determination. A prototype is the most representative item within a group, category, or set of items. Given a group of fisher communities where snappers are fished, can we find prototypes in one locality and not in others? What are the variables that may be related to prototype determination in fisher folk knowledge? To answer these questions, we studied the folk taxonomy of snappers in five localities along the Brazilian coast by interviewing 88 fishermen and by collecting 239 specimens of 10 different species of Lutjanidae (snappers). We identified prototypes in two localities. Interestingly, the prototypes had the same basic folk names, but they correspond to different scientific species. On the basis of our data on fish landings, we observed that prototype species were relatively abundant in the area. Although size and color may play a role in...

An annotated list of fish parasites (Isopoda, Copepoda, Monogenea, Digenea, Cestoda, Nematoda) collected from Snappers and Bream (Lutjanidae, Nemipteridae, Caesionidae) in New Caledonia confirms high parasite biodiversity on coral reef fish.

BackgroundCoral reefs are areas of maximum biodiversity, but the parasites of coral reef fishes, and especially their species richness, are not well known. Over an 8-year period, parasites were collected from 24 species of Lutjanidae, Nemipteridae and Caesionidae off New Caledonia, South Pacific.ResultsHost-parasite and parasite-host lists are provided, with a total of 207 host-parasite combinations and 58 parasite species identified at the species level, with 27 new host records. Results are presented for isopods, copepods, monogeneans, digeneans, cestodes and nematodes. When results are restricted to well-sampled reef fish species (sample size > 30), the number of host-parasite combinations is 20–25 per fish species, and the number of parasites identified at the species level is 9–13 per fish species. Lutjanids include reef-associated fish and deeper sea fish from the outer slopes of the coral reef: fish from both milieus were compared. Surprisingly, parasite biodiversity was higher in deeper sea fish than in reef fish (host-parasite combinations: 12.50 vs 10.13, number of species per fish 3.75 vs 3.00); however, we identified four biases which diminish the validity of this comparison. Finally, these results and previously published results allow us to propose a generalization of parasite biodiversity for four major families of reef-associated fishes (Lutjanidae, Nemipteridae, Serranidae and Lethrinidae): well-sampled fish have a mean of 20 host-parasite combinations per fish species, and the number of parasites identified at the species level is 10 per fish species.ConclusionsSince all precautions have been taken to minimize taxon numbers, it is safe to affirm than the number of fish parasites is at least ten times the number of fish species in coral reefs, for species of similar size or larger than the species in the four families studied; this is a major improvement to our estimate of biodiversity in coral reefs. Our results suggest that extinction of a coral reef fish species would eventually result in the coextinction of at least ten species of parasites.

Species identification of snapper: A food poisoning incident in Taiwan

A snapper (Lutjanidae fish) is a carnivorous coral reef fish that is distributed in sea areas around Taiwan. In December 2008 in southern Taiwan, a food poisoning incident occurred due to the ingestion of snapper, and the causative residue of ciguatera was investigated using a toxicity assay. To identify the species of the causative sample, six suspected species of Lutjanidae fish commonly found in Taiwan were analyzed using both sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) techniques. According to the low molecular weight region (<30.0 kD) of species-specific patterns extracted from myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins, the 6 snapper species could be clearly differentiated by the SDS-PAGE method. Furthermore, a consistent 465 bp sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from the 6 snapper species was amplified by the PCR method and was rapidly distinguished by the analysis of restriction enzymes. According to both SDS-PAGE and PCR-RFLP methods, the poisonous sample was identified as Lutjanus bohar, which is also a notorious Lutjanidae species containing ciguateric toxins.

Cytogenetic studies in three species of Lutjanus (Perciformes: Lutjanidae: Lutjaninae) from the Isla Margarita, Venezuela

In the present study, three species of Lutjaninae, Lutjanus analis, L. griseus and L. synagris, were analyzed by conventional Giemsa staining, C-banding and silver staining, to reveal active Nucleolus Organizer Regions (NORs). Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was also applied to establish the number and location of the ribosomal gene clusters (18S and 5S rRNA genes). Counts of diploid metaphasic cells revealed a diploid modal chromosome complement composed of 48 acrocentric chromosomes in both L. analis and L. griseus. Two cytotypes were observed in L. synagris: cytotype I, with 2n=48 acrocentric chromosomes, found in 19 specimens, and cytotype II, with 46 acrocentric chromosomes and one large metacentric, found in two specimens. The large metacentric, which possibly originated from a Robertsonian rearrangement, was not found to be sex-related. In the three species, constitutive heterochromatin is located in the centromeres of all chromosomes. NORs were detected on the short arms of a single chromosome pair, number 24 in L. analis and number 6 in both cytotypes of L. synagris. In L. griseus, a polymorphism of the NORs number was detected, by both Ag-staining and FISH, as females show a maximum of three NORs, and males a maximum of six NORs. In all species, minor ribosomal genes were found located on a single chromosome pair. The obtained data, along with those previously reported for other five Lutjanidae species, show that a general chromosome homogeneity occurs within the family, but that derived karyotypes based on Robertsonian rearrangements as well as multiple and variable NORs sites can also be found.

Eight new species of Siphoderina Manter, 1934 (Digenea, Cryptogonimidae) infecting Lutjanidae and Haemulidae (Perciformes) off Australia

AbstractWe report nine species, eight of which are new, of cryptogonimids belonging to Siphoderina Manter, 1934 from the intestine and pyloric caeca of five species of Lutjanidae (Lutjanus adetii, L. argentimaculatus, L. carponotatus, L. fulviflamma and L. russelli) and one species of Haemulidae (Plectorhinchus gibbosus) recovered from Heron and Lizard Islands off the Great Barrier Reef, Moreton Bay and Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. We also report the metacercariae of two species from an atherinid fish, Atherinomorus capricornensis, from near Heron Island. Morphological analysis of the species reported here was augmented by DNA sequence analyses utilizing data from the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) 1 and 2, large subunit (LSU) and 5.8S nuclear ribosomal DNA to explore the integrity of the species and their biogeographic distributions. The analysis found strong support for the integrity of Siphoderina and found that it is the sister-taxon to Beluesca Miller et Cribb, 2007. Sequencing included multiple replicates and no intraspecific variation was observed between any of the taxa over the rDNA regions examined. Sequence data from the ITS and LSU regions were analysed with that of species of Beluesca, Caulanus Miller et Cribb, 2007, Chelediadema Miller et Cribb, 2007, Latuterus Miller et Cribb, 2007, Neometadena Hafeezullah et Siddiqi, 1970 and Retrovarium Miller et Cribb, 2007 which all also infect lutjanids or haemulids. Some closely related species of Siphoderina infect only distantly related fishes among the haemulids and lutjanids whereas others form clusters in association with clusters of closely related lutjanids. This pattern suggests a history of some co-evolutionary divergence together with significant host switching. Pseudallacanthochasmus Velasquez, 1961 is considered a synonym of Siphoderina and the new combinations S. grandispinus (Velasquez, 1961) n. comb. and S. magnivesiculum (Gaevskaya et Aljoshkina, 1985) n. comb. are proposed. As a result of the new species described here and these new combinations, Siphoderina now contains 43 species, making it by far the largest genus of the Cryptogonimidae.

Coevolution of Retrovarium n. gen. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) in Lutjanidae and Haemulidae (Perciformes) in the Indo-West Pacific

We describe 11 new species of cryptogonimids belonging to Retrovarium n. gen., from eight species of Lutjanidae and one species of Haemulidae, from the Great Barrier Reef, French Polynesia and the Maldives. We also transfer Neoparacryptogonimus saccatus (Manter, 1963) and Neoparacryptogonimus sphericus Nahhas, Sey & Nishimoto, 1998 to Retrovarium. The morphologically based taxonomic approach was augmented with DNA sequence data from three nuclear ribosomal DNA regions (28S, ITS1 and ITS2) to explore the species integrity, biogeographic distribution and evolution of the species recognised here. Sequencing included multiple replicates and revealed 11 distinct genotypes which corroborated our morphologically based hypotheses of putative species present in the system. There was no intraspecific variation and all three rDNA regions differed between every combination of species. Two species exhibited wide geographic ranges, having identical rDNA sequences between the Great Barrier Reef and the Maldives, localities separated by over 9600km. One host species, Symphorus nematophorus, proved to be exceptionally rich, harbouring six species. Minimum evolution analyses were conducted on each of the rDNA datasets independently; minimum evolution, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses were conducted on a combined (28S, ITS1 and ITS2) dataset for sequence comparison purposes and to explore the evolutionary history of these parasites. To examine the coevolutionary history of this complex, assessment of phylogenetic relationships between the 23 species of Lutjanidae and two species of Haemulidae collected during this survey was performed with data from 16S and cytochrome b mtDNA using Bayesian inference analysis. Despite the high host specificity observed in most of the species, mapping of the parasites on the host phylogeny revealed an absence of strict coevolution or co-descent within this complex. Overall, Retrovarium appears to have had an exceptionally patchy radiation, failing to infect many taxa, infecting species with no readily discernible pattern, and radiating dramatically within one species.

The phylogenetic relationship of the family Lutjanidae based on analyses of AFLP and mitochondrial 12S rRNA sequences

Fishes of the family Lutjanidae are commercially important in South China Sea. However, the phylogeny of Lutjanids is still unclear and there are many controversies over it. Herein, studies about the phylogeny of Lutjanids were performed based on Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) analysis of genome DNA and sequence analysis of mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene, and 10 Lutjanidae species and 1 Lethrinidae species were employed. The topologies of minimum evolution (ME) trees based on the two analyses respectively were congruent except for positions of genera Pristipomoides and Caesio. The optimal substitution model TrN + G for DNA sequences of 12S rRNA genes in Lutjanids was obtained using MODELTEST 3.6 software and maximum likelihood (ML) analysis supports the topology displayed by the ME tree. The test of log-likelihood suggests that the use of molecular clock calibrations to estimate species divergence time appeared valid. Phylogenetic analyses using AFLP data and DNA sequences of mitochondrial 12S rRNA genes indicated the monophyly of Lutjanus genra. However, further studies are required to reveal the phylogenetic relationship among other genera. In addition, the results demonstrated that AFLP genetic marker was suitable for the phylogenetic analysis of Lutjanids.