Molecular phylogeny suggests synonymy of Sandalia bridgesi Lorenz, 2009 with S. triticea (Lamarck, 1810) (Gastropoda, Ovulidae)

The Ovulidae (Gastropoda, Cypraeoidea) is a family of small to medium Mollusca in the order Littorinimorpha, and Sandalia is a very small genus containing only three extant species. In the present study, 132 specimens of Ovulidae were collected, belonging to seven genera and nine species, including 54 Sandalia bridgesi and three Sandalia triticea individuals. The cytochrome c oxidase I gene, 16S rRNA, and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequences were obtained from all specimens and compared with sequences downloaded from GenBank to calculate genetic distances and construct phylogenetic trees. The sequences of S. bridgesi and S. triticea exhibited a high degree of similarity, and S. bridgesi does not form a separate clade, supporting the proposal that S. bridgesi should be synonymised with S. triticea

Molecular phylogeny suggests synonymy of Sandalia bridgesi within Sandalia triticea (Gastropoda: Ovulidae)

The Ovulidae are the most ecologically diverse family of the order Littorinimorpha. And the Sandalia is a small genus containing only three species. In the present study, we collected 44 specimens of Ovulidae (Gastropoda: Cypraeacea), belonging to six genera and eight species, including 20 Sandalia bridgesi and 2 Sandalia triticea individuals. The cytochrome c oxidase I gene (COI), 16S rRNA, and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequences were obtained from the specimens and compared with sequences downloaded from GenBank to calculate genetic distances and construct phylogenetic trees. The sequences of S. bridgesi and S. triticea exhibited a high degree of similarity, and the S. bridgesi does not formed a separate clade, supporting the proposition that S. bridgesi should be considered a synonym of S. triticea

Genetic identification of ophichthid fishes through DNA barcoding

Ophichthidae is the most ecologically diverse family of the order Anguilliformes; however, high morphological similarity and a long larval stage make precise identification difficult. The aim of the present study was to examine the potential for barcoding of ophichthid fishes. A total of 81 mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) barcode sequences were obtained from 23 species and 12 genera of ophichthid fishes collected in the Taiwan Strait. The average Kimura two-parameter distances within species, genera, and families were 0.48%, 18.25%, and 18.79%, respectively; thus, the mean interspecific distance was 31-fold higher than the mean intraspecific distance, which demonstrates good efficiency in DNA barcoding. The sequence divergence among species also varied substantially from 4.60% to 25.90%. This evaluation demonstrates the high efficiency of DNA barcoding for species identification to facilitate research on the diversity and conservation of ophichthid fishes

Genetic divergence (percentage, K2P distance) within various taxonomic levels.

<p>Genetic divergence (percentage, K2P distance) within various taxonomic levels.</p

Distribution of the sampling localities for the specimens collected in this study.

<p>Distribution of the sampling localities for the specimens collected in this study.</p

Neighbor-joining tree based on COI sequences using K2P distances.

<p>Neighbor-joining tree based on COI sequences using K2P distances.</p