DNA sequences and morphological variation in Lophiodes iwamotoi Ho, Serét & Shao, 2011 based on new material from New Caledonia

Abstract

Iwamoto's anglerfish Lophiodes iwamotoi is recorded from New Caledonia for the first time. Study of molecular features further support the validity of the species. Moloecular sequence data from the cytochrome c oxidase subunit-I and Rhodopsin loci, along with morphological variation are provided, as well as information on its fresh coloration.

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594 Accepted by M.R. de Carvalho: 12 Jun. 2013; published: 1 Jul. 2013
ZOOTAXA
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Copyright © 2013 Magnolia Press
Zootaxa 3682 (4): 594–598
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Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3682.4.12
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:77C3BFBB-68D4-476C-9894-1C8651207963
DNA sequences and morphological variation in Lophiodes iwamotoi
Ho, Serét & Shao, 2011 based on new material from New Caledonia
HSUAN-CHING HO1,2,4 & WEI-JEN CHEN3
1National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, Pingtung, Taiwan, no. 2, Houwan Rd., Checheng, Pingtung, Taiwan.
E-mail:ogcoho@gmail.com
2Institute of Marine Biodiversity & Evolutionary Biology, National Dong Hwa University; No. 2, Houwan Rd., Checheng, Pingtung,
Tai wan
3Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec. 4 Roosevelt Rd. Taipei 10617, Taiwan
4Corresponding author
Abstract
Iwamoto’s anglerfish Lophiodes iwamotoi is recorded from New Caledonia for the first time. Study of molecular features
further support the validity of the species. Moloecular sequence data from the cytochrome c oxidase subunit-I and Rho-
dopsin loci, along with morphological variation are provided, as well as information on its fresh coloration.
Key words: Pieces, Teleotsei, Lophiiformes, Lophiidae, New Caledonia
Introduction
Ho et al. (2011) documented the species of the family Lophiidae from the South Pacific Ocean, recognizing seven
valid species and describing two new species from Polynesia. One of these, Lophiodes iwamotoi Ho, Serét & Shao,
2011 was described on the basis of five specimens collected from the Savannah Seamount of Polynesia at depths of
706-710 m in 1977. These specimens, despite being in good condition, were strongly faded due to long-term
preservation.
Recently, the authors examined fish specimens collected during the 39-day exploratory cruise (campaign:
EXBODI) by the R/V Alis deployed by the French Oceanographic Fleet on seamounts off New Caledonia, in which
nine lophiid specimens were recognized. Among them, four are identified as L. iwamotoi. Of the remaining five,
three were identified as L. mutilus (Alcock 1894) and two as Lophiomus setigerus (Vahl 1797).
The purpose of the present work is to record this recently described species and its congeners represented in
the New Caledonian ichthyofauna. A molecular comparison was undertaken to obtain further data regarding the
validity of the species. We discuss this DNA sequence data as well as morphological variation in L. iwamotoi, and
provide fresh color information on this species for the first time (Fig. 1).
Material and methods
Nine lophiid specimens were included in the morphological and molecular examination. Whole genomic DNA was
extracted from fin clips or muscle tissue of specimens using the Qiagen DNeasy extraction kit (Qiagen, Valencia,
CA) according to manufacturer's instructions. Fragments of two protein-coding genes (cytochrome c oxidase
subunit-I [COI] and rhodopsin [Rhod]) located in mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, respectively, were amplified
and sequenced for this study. Protocols for collecting molecular data follow those outlined in Ward et al. (2005) for
COI and Chen et al. (2003) for Rhod. Collected DNA sequences were deposited in NCBI GenBank (see Fig. 2 for
the accession numbers of the corresponding gene sequences). Compiled sequences were manually aligned based on
the inferred amino acid translation using Se-Al v2.0a11 (available at http://tree.bio.ed.ac.uk/software/seal/).

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LOPHIODES IWAMOTOI FROM NEW CALEDONIA
FIGURE 1. Freshly caught specimens of Lophiodes iwamotoi. A. ASIZP 73486, 248 mm SL. B. ASIZP 73489, 247 mm SL. C.
ASIZP 73488, 154 mm SL. Not to scale.

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Methods for taking counts and proportional measurements generally followed Caruso (1981, 1983).
Specimens examined are deposited in the fish collection of the Academia Sinica (ASIZP). Meristic and
morphometric values of the four newly collected specimens compared to those of the type-series are provided in
Table 1.
TABLE 1. Morphomeric data of the type-series and four additional specimens of Lophiodes iwamotoi.
Results and discussion
Among the species in the Lophiodes mutilus-species group (sensu Caruso, 1981), L. iwamotoi is closest to L.
mutilus in having a long third dorsal-fin spine, a simple small escal bulb, and many tendrils on the third dorsal-fin
spine. Several characters have been used to readily separate it from L. mutilus: 19–20 pectoral-fin rays (vs. 15–18;
mostly 16), a much longer third dorsal-fin spine (56.9–70.8% SL vs. 36.6–63.9% SL) that reaches the caudal
peduncle, but a relatively short fifth dorsal-fin spine (10.5–13.1% SL vs. 16.9–29.3% SL) that reaches the origin of
the soft dorsal fin.
The New Caledonian specimens agree well with the original description, except for the following variations.
The inner frontal spine is present in all type-specimens and in the two smaller New Caledonian specimens, but is
strongly reduced in two larger specimens. The same change of the inner frontal spine morphology was also
observed in other members of the L. mutilus species group (Ho, pers. obs.), implying that an ontogenic change of
this particular character might be common in Lophiodes species. The inner sphenotic spines are strongly reduced in
the 248 mm specimen.
The illicium is much shorter in the 248 mm specimen, only 19.8% SL (vs. 23.0–26.7% SL in type series),
whereas that of the 226 mm holotype is 26.7% SL. The length of the illicium in the 154 mm specimen is also below
the average value for the type-series. No trend in growth in the spine is observed. The 248 mm specimen has a
relatively long fifth dorsal-fin spine at 17.5% SL (vs. 10.5–13.1% SL in the type-series). However, the spine
reaches the origin of the dorsal fin when fully laid back, identically to the type-series.
Several proportional values are different in the 76.7 mm specimen: it has a longer head (43.5% SL), a wider
head (56.5% HL), a shorter 3rd dorsal-fin spine (44.3% SL) that reaches only the middle portion of dorsal-fin base,
a longer tail (32.7% SL), a greater distance between inner sphenotic spines (45.2% HL), a greater distance between
Types New Caledonian specimens
Standard length (mm SL) 169–226 (n=4) 145–248 (n=3) 76.7 (n=1)
Proportion as %SL
Head length (HL) 36.2–37.2 36.6–38.3 43.5
Illicial length 23.0–26.7 19.8–23.5 25.4
2nd dorsal-spine length 27.2–31.7 29.1–30.5 27.4
3rd dorsal-spine length 56.9–70.8 66.5–68.8 44.3
5th dorsal-spine length 10.5–13.1 13.0–17.5 10.7
Tail length 26.3–29.0 25.3–29.8 32.7
Proportion as % HL
Head width 52.1–53.8 51.8–53.0 56.3
Head depth 65.8–67.9 62.4–66.7 65.0
Snout length 55.4–57.5 57.6–59.6 58.1
Snout width 19.2–22.5 19.3–23.3 19.5
Distance between inner sphenotic spines 41.1–42.5 40.4–41.7 45.2
Distance between posterior frontal spines 41.0–43.2 43.2–44.6 45.2
Distance between pterotic and sphenotic spines 19.2–20.5 18.4–20.3 19.5
Distance between quadrate and anterior palatine
spines 67.1–72.6 64.5–68.8 50.9
Distance between opercular and subopercular spines 41.6–47.4 41.5–43.9 46.4

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LOPHIODES IWAMOTOI FROM NEW CALEDONIA
frontal spine (45.2% HL), and a smaller distance between quadrate and anterior palatine spines (50.9% HL).
However, it has 19 pectoral-fin rays and similar coloration with the other three specimens; its molecular features
also support our identification. All these differences may be attributed to changes in growth.
FIGURE 2. Polymorphic nucleotide sites at the cytochrome c oxidase subunit-I locus (A) and Rhodopsin locus (B) in two
Lophiodes species collected from seamounts off New Caledonia. Diagnostic nucleotides of L. iwamotoi to L. mutilus are
highlighted. Numeration of nucleotide sites starts from first nucleotide of the corresponding genes. The sequences used for the
examination were deposited in NCBI Genbank. Their accession numbers are given.
Few knobs are found on the dorsal surface of the humeral spine in the type-series, but three blunt spines are
present on the two smaller specimens and absent in two larger specimens. Ho et al. (2011) mentioned that
“although the humeral spines are quite variable in most species of Lophiodes, ranging from simple to multifid, all
specimens in the type series of L. iwamotoi have a simple humeral spine with few low knobs on it.” We confirm
that L. iwamotoi has a simple humeral spine, especially in larger specimens. Arrangement and form of other spines
on the head bones in the New Caledonian material are as recorded in the originally described specimens of the
species.
Figure 1 shows the coloration of the freshly caught New Caledonian specimens. The 248 mm specimen (Figs.
1A–B) is uniformly light brown dorsally and pale gray ventrally, with a pale posterior pectoral-fin margin. The

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remaining specimens have many small irregular black patches on a light brown background; these patches faded
after preservation.
Distribution of L. iwamotoi is now extended westward from the Society Islands to southeastern New
Caledonia, and the depth range is extended to 460–780 m.
From the sample collection data and molecular evidence from both mitochondrial and nuclear gene markers
(see below) (Fig. 2), the two Lophiodes species are suggested to be genetically and reproductively isolated, living
sympatrically at least on seamounts of the South Durand Bank. It is notably that one of our Lophiomus setigerus
specimens was collected at a depth of 815–970 m, which represents the deepest record for the species.
No nucleotide insertions or deletions were found in our aligned sequences for the samples of the two
Lophiodes species. Fifty-one and 12 variable sites were observed along the 630 bp and 828 bp sequenced fragments
for the COI and Rhod loci, respectively. This represents 7.82% and 0.84 % of interspecific nucleotide divergence
(evaluated by uncorrected pairwise p-distance) from COI and Rhodopsin genes. A few single nucleotide
polymorphism sites (SNPs) were detected among the samples of the same species (Fig. 2). In addition to
morphological characters, the two Lophiodes species co-occuring in New Caledonian waters can be
unambiguously distinguished from each other by four and more diagnostic nucleotides along the fragment of the
two genes sequenced (Fig. 2).
Specimens examined. Lophiodes iwamotoi: ASIZP 73486 (248 mm), stn. EXB 097, CP3853, Banc Sud
Durand, 22°18'S, 168°46'E, 692 m, 14 Sep. 2011. ASIZP 73487 (76.7 mm), stn. EXB 111, CP3854, Banc Sud
Durand, 22°18'S, 168°45'E, 570 m, 14 Sep. 2011. ASIZP 73488 (154 mm), EXB 158, stn. CP3864, Banc de
L'Orne/Walpole, 22°22'S, 168°57'E, 460–708 m, 15 Sep. 2011. ASIZP 73489 (247 mm), stn. EXB 182, CP3871,
Banc Ellet, 22°53'S, 169°25'E, 580–780 m, 16 Sep. 2011. Lophiodes mutilus: ASIZP 73483 (107 mm SL) and
ASIZP 73484 (56.3 mm), stn. EXB 088, CP3852, Banc Sud Durand, 22°17'S, 168°43'E, 582 m, 14 Sep. 2011.
ASIZP 73485 (177 mm), stn. EXB 110, CP3854, Banc Sud Durand, 22°18'S, 168°45'E, 570 m, 14 Sep. 2011.
Lophiomus setigerus: ASIZP 73490 (121 mm), stn. EXB532, CP3834, Au large passe Yaté, 22°06'S, 167°04'E,
257–258 m, 9 Sep. 2011. ASIZP 73491 (235 mm), stn. EXB538, CP3844, Au large passe de la sarcelle, 22°20'S,
167°22'E, 815–970 m, 10 Sep. 2011.
Acknowledgements
Our gratitude goes to the crews of the R/V Alis and participants of the oceanographic cruise (campaign: EXBODI;
PIs, Sarah Samadi and Laure Corbari) involved in organizing the survey and the capture of the samples. We wish to
thank J.-N. Chen, C.-J. Chen, C.-H. Huang, and H. Lee for their efforts in sequencing. The EXBODI is supported
by UMS Flotte Océanographique Française. This study is partly supported by the National Science Council to HCC
(NSC 101-2621-B291-001), and to WJC (NSC 102-2923-B-002 -001 -MY3).
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