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| Amblyceps hmolaii Singh, Lalronunga & Ramliana, 2022 |
Abstract
Background:
Explorations of the Kaladan River of Mizoram, India during the last decade have given a large number of new species. Integrative taxonomy, when used at the time of discovery of new species, can correlate the morphological characters with the species-specific DNA signatures and ameliorate the process of species identification. Based on this approach, Amblyceps hmolaii sp. nov., a new torrent catfish species is described from the Kaladan River drainage.
Methods and results:
The new species is distinguished from all twenty-two congeners by morphometric measurements and meristic counts. Sequence analysis of mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), generated in this study and those available in NCBI, separated A. hmolaii sp. nov. from seven species of Amblyceps. Analysis of COI sequences, with ABGD software to delimit the species, also provided eight stable groups corresponding to the eight species of Amblyceps. The new species was separated from its congeners with an average genetic distance of 11.77%. Maximum-likelihood (ML) phylogenetic tree was constructed using the best fit nucleotide substitution model HKY + G + I.
Conclusion:
This study used all the twenty-two congeners in morphomeristic analysis and seven congeners in molecular analysis, for comparison with the new species. This approach unambiguously resolved the new species from other species of Amblyceps and created its species-specific DNA signatures. The discovery of new species even marked the first record of genus Amblyceps from the Kaladan drainage.
Keywords: Barcode gap, Cytochrome c oxidase I, Genetic distance, Morphometric characters, Phylogenetic tree
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| Amblyceps hmolaii sp. nov., ZSI FF 9059, holotype, 51.5 mm SL; India: Mizoram: Kawlchaw River (Kaladan River drainage) |
Class: Actinopterygii Klein 1885.
Order: Siluriformes Cuvier, 1817.
Family: Amblycipitidae Day 1873.
Genus: Amblyceps Blyth 1858.
Amblyceps hmolaii sp. nov.
Etymology: Named in honor of Hmolai, a famous Lakher chief of Lushai hills (present-day Mizoram state).
Mahender Singh, Samuel Lalronunga and Lal Ramliana. 2022. Integrative Taxonomy peeps A New Torrent Catfish Species of Genus Amblyceps (Siluriformes: Amblycipitidae) in Kaladan River of Mizoram, India. Molecular Biology Reports. DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07302-7
