Molecular and morphological evidence supports the species status of the Mahachai fighter Betta sp. Mahachai and reveals new species of Betta from Thailand

Abstract

Two regions of mitochondrial (mt) DNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and 16S rRNA, were sequenced in nine species of Betta from Thailand and Indonesia. Most species showed little intraspecific COI variation (adjusted mean = 0.48%) including the putative species Betta sp. Mahachai, but one species (Betta smaragdina) included three lineages showing much greater divergence (7.03-13.48%) that probably represent overlooked species. These findings were confirmed by maximum likelihood analysis and Bayesian inference, which revealed well-supported corresponding monophyletic clades. Based on these results and morphological differences, the putative species Betta sp. Mahachai from central Thailand is a species distinct from other members of the B. splendens group and represents a new and hitherto undescribed species. Furthermore, this study also demonstrated the probable existence of two overlooked Betta species found in the Khorat plateau basin, illustrating the utility of mitochondrial genetic markers in the revelation of overlooked diversity.

Isolation and characterization of novel microsatellite markers from Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens, Osphronemidae, Anabantoidei) and their transferability to related species, B. smaragdina and B. imbellis

“…B. smaragdina and B. imbellis are widely distributed in the northeast and south of continental Thailand, respectively, whereas B. stiktos inhabits Cambodia (Goldstein, 2001, Tan andNg, 2005). Reports on molecular phylogenies of genus Betta suggest that B. splendens is more closely related to B. imbellis than to B. smaragdina (Ruber et al, 2004;Sriwattanarothai et al, 2010). These findings led us to predict that our SSR markers could be more transferable in B. imbellis than in B. smaragdina. )…”

Cryptic Diversity in Indo-Australian Rainbowfishes Revealed by DNA Barcoding: Implications for Conservation in a Biodiversity Hotspot Candidate

“…Conservation of the rainbowfishes biodiversity is challenging, however, as reproductive compatibilities among species seem to be maintained long time after speciation leading to ease of hybridization even among inter-generic species [18], [19], [37]. The great diversity of phenotypes found in the family, which is at the origin of its success in the aquarium trade, however, is tightly linked to the maintenance of their genetic diversity as previously reported for other emblematic species of the aquarium fish trade [46], [47]. As a consequence, conservation programs implying breeding plans should pay attention to hybridization in order to prevent the loss of phenotypic diversity or alter fitness in natural populations through translocation programs.…”

Mitochondrial phylogeny of grey mullets (Acanthopterygii: Mugilidae) suggests high proportion of cryptic species

“…The barcoding literature shows several examples of deep divergence at the mitochondrial cytochrome-oxidase 1 (CO1) locus within fish species, which have been ascribed to cryptic species (e.g. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]). These examples thus illustrate the potential of mitochondrial sequences to flag putative new species in marine fishes.…”