title: Proposed synonymy for Micropogonias altipinnis (Günther 1864), Micropogonias ectenes (Jordan & Gilbert 1882), and Micropogonias megalops (Gilbert 1890).
abstract: Within the Sciaenidae family, the genus Micropogonias is composed of three recognized species along the Pacific coast of Mexico: Micropogonias altipinnis, M. ectenes, and M. megalops. These species exhibit overlapping diagnostic characters, which make species identification difficult. This study ties morphological differences (meristic, morphometry of body, and otolith) with DNA sequences (CO1 and 16S fractions of mtDNA and 28S of nDNA) among Micropogonias species in the Pacific. Meristic analysis showed a latitudinal variation among the three species in the number of rays, the number of gill rakers, and length of the longest spine of the dorsal fin. Discriminant analysis of morphometric characters (body and otolith) showed three morphological entities (p < 0.001). However, the mean genetic divergences among the three species with partial sequences of mtDNA (CO1 and 16S), and nuclear (28S) were lower than those reported at the interspecific level (>2%). Genetic results suggest that the three species are one species and that the differences in meristics and morphometry could be the result of phenotypic plasticity or incipient speciation. In this sense, M. ectenes and M. megalops are proposed as junior synonyms of M. altipinnis.
authors.affiliation: a Instituto Politécnico Nacional-Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (IPN-CICIMAR) , La Paz , B.C.S , Mexico.
authors.forename: Geremías
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Pinedo
authors.affiliation: a Instituto Politécnico Nacional-Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (IPN-CICIMAR) , La Paz , B.C.S , Mexico.
authors.forename: Noé
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Díaz-Viloria
authors.affiliation: a Instituto Politécnico Nacional-Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (IPN-CICIMAR) , La Paz , B.C.S , Mexico.
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ortiz-Galindo
authors.affiliation: b Faculdade de Biociências-Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (FaBio-PUCRS) , Porto Alegre , RS , Brazil.
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ferreira-Fontoura
authors.affiliation: c Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR) , La Paz , B.C.S , Mexico.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Perez-Enriquez
authors.affiliation: a Instituto Politécnico Nacional-Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (IPN-CICIMAR) , La Paz , B.C.S , Mexico.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Velasco
authors.affiliation: a Instituto Politécnico Nacional-Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (IPN-CICIMAR) , La Paz , B.C.S , Mexico.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De La Cruz-Agüero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics; D050259:Genes, Mitochondrial; D008800:Mexico; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D010473:Perciformes / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV
keywords: CO1; Micropogonias altipinnis; Micropogonias ectenes; Micropogonias megalops; morphological and molecular characters; tropical eastern Pacific