Rodríguez Santiago, Áurea E.

Profile Picture

Filters

20081
Reset filters

Settings

Citations

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Mitochondrial DNA analyses for species Identification of snappers from Caribbean waters
    (2008) Rodríguez Santiago, Áurea E.; Otero Morales, Ernesto; College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences; García Sais, Jorge R.; Bird Picó, Fernando J.; Martínez Cruzado, Juan C.; Aponte, Nilda E.; Department of Marine Sciences; Gill, John H.
    This study examined phylogenetic relationships among fifteen species of the Lutjanidae family occurring within the Caribbean Basin, based on mitochondrial 12S rDNA analysis. Previous investigations have limited their scope to species occurring in the western Atlantic (WA) and Cuba, or to several species within the Lutjaninae subfamily. This is the first phylogenetic study that includes all 3 subfamilies of lutjanids occurring in the Caribbean. We identified diagnostic polymorphisms within the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) for 15 lutjanid species in the Caribbean. Specimens were obtained from local catches at La Parguera, Puerto Real and Rincón, western Puerto Rico and Cataño, at the north. DNA variation was quantified through the use of polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) amplification of fragments corresponding to 450 bp of the mtDNA 12S rRNA gene followed by sequencing. Intraspecific variation was not found within any species for the adult specimens analyzed during this study. Assessment of phylogenetic relationships of species was conducted using Neighbor Joining (NJ) and Bayesian Inference (BI) analyses. Phylogenetic relationships within the subfamily Lutjaninae remained rather unresolved for some species. Nevertheless, our study suggests that even if not strongly supported, the groups found are associated according to morphology, habitat or feeding preferences. In addition, the consistency in the sequence data for each species in this study demonstrates that the 12S rRNA gene is a reliable tool for taxonomic identification within this family. These sequences constitute a sort of molecular key for all the 15 species of lutjanids studied, useful for identification of early stages and processed tissues or fillets for fisheries management regulations. Lutjanidae is one of the largest teleostean families, commonly known as snappers and is one of the most important in Caribbean fisheries. For appropriate management, description of dispersion patterns for each species is needed. However, specific identification of lutjanid larvae is still difficult despite published larval descriptions and is one of the main bottlenecks in our understanding of their early life history. To address this problem, we identified diagnostic polymorphisms within the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) for 15 lutjanid species in the Caribbean. Adult specimens were obtained from local catches and larvae from plankton tows using a 202 μm mesh net. DNA variation was quantified through the use of polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) amplification of fragments corresponding to 450 bp of the mtDNA 12S rRNA gene followed by sequencing. Phylogenetic trees were constructed from DNA sequence data including adults and larvae. Seven species were identified among the collected larvae: Lutjanus apodus, Lutjanus synagris, Lutjanus analis, Lutjanus griseus, Lutjanus mahogoni, Ocyurus chrysurus and Rhomboplites aurorubens. Identification of these larvae increases our understanding of early larval stages taxonomy. In addition, this information is useful for the design of research leading to the description of spawning, dispersal and recruitment patterns, as well as habitat selection for these species. These analyses are of vital relevance for assessments regarding the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as a management option to restore diminishing stocks of fish populations.