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| Scomberomorus avirostrus Abdussamad, Toji, Margaret, Mini, Rajesh, Azeez, Vinothkumar, Retheesh, Abbas, Shihab, Sneha, Prathibha & Gopalakrishnan, 2023 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15582 |
Abstract
Scomberomorus guttatus, have been subjected to a series of synonym assignations over the years. Their taxonomy has been mired with ambiguities due to the greater-than-average morphological variations observed in samples from different regions. An integrated taxonomic revision with molecular support indicated that the species which was thought to be a single entity, in reality, is a complex of three distinct species. They are morphologically distinct: in view of the body depth and elongation, cephalic morphometry and meristic characteristics. Otolith morphometry and phylogenetic evidence further established the taxonomic divergence within the spotted seerfish complex. The phylogenetic characteristic as indicated by the mitochondrial COI sequence unveiled that S. guttatus had an high intraspecific divergence of 11.1% from its two identical congeners and a divergence of 2.34% between the congeners, indicating scope for categorizing them as separate species. Based on the morphological and molecular evidences S. guttatus is redescribed, the senior synonym, S. leopardus is resurrected as a valid species and a new species Scomberomorus avirostrus n. sp.. is described with keys for species distinction.
Keywords: Scomberomorus, taxonomy, ambiguities, otolith morphometry, phylogenetic
E. M. Abdussamad, T. Toji, A. M. R. Margaret, K. G. Mini, K. M. Rajesh, P. A. Azeez, R. Vinothkumar, T. B. Retheesh, A. M. Abbas, I. Shihab, M. G. Sneha, R. Prathibha and A. Gopalakrishnan. 2023. Untangling the Taxonomic Ambiguities of the Spotted Seerfish, Scomberomorus guttatus with Description of A New Species from India. Journal of Fish Biology. DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15582
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| Images of (A) Scomberomorus guttatus, collected from Tranquebar, India; (B, C) Scomberomorus leopardus (= S. aff. guttatus 1 and S. aff. guttatus 2, respectively) resurrected in this study. FL indicates fork length of the specimen. |
N. S. Jeena, Summaya Rahuman, Subal Kumar Roul, P. Abdul Azeez, R. Vinothkumar, H. M. Manas, E. A. Nesnas, A. Margaret Muthu Rathinam, S. Surya, Prathibha Rohit, E. M. Abdussamad and A. Gopalakrishnan. 2022. Resolved and Redeemed: A New Fleck to the Evolutionary Divergence in the Genus Scomberomorus Lacepède, 1801 (Scombridae) With Cryptic Speciation. Front. Mar. Sci.. 9; 888463. DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2022.888463 [Sec. Marine Evolutionary Biology, Biogeography and Species Diversity]
Keywords: Scomberomorus, phylogeny, species delimitation, divergence, resurrection, northern Indian Ocean, ecology
