Diversidade genética dos peixes serrasalmídeos na Amazônia

Abstract

Serrasalmidae is a family of Neotropical fishes with exclusive natural occurrence in the South American continent. These fishes are distributed in the main drainage basins of the continent, being abundant in the Amazon and Orinoco, but also occurring in the Paraná-Paraguay system and São Francisco River Basin. It inhabits a wide variety of water bodies, including the main channel of the rivers, lakes, the flooded forest and rapids or waterfalls environments in the headwaters of rivers. Many species of Serrasalmids, mainly from the genera Piaractus, Colossoma and Mylossoma, are economically important, representing a significant proportion of commercial fishing in the Amazon and used in aquaculture. Other species are important for the ornamental fish market as the species of the genus Metynnis. Some representative species of Mylesinus, Myleus and Tometes genera are among the most important species of fish for feeding in Amazonian indigenous communities. While the monophyly of this group is already defined, some pacus genera as Tometes, Mylesinus, Myleus and Myloplus, and piranha species as Serrasalmus rhombeus and Pristobrycon striolatus remain problematic taxonomically. As a result of uncertainty in the positioning of these taxa, the current status of the structure and genetic variability of populations of many species of Serrasalmidae is unknown yet. In order to contribute for resolve this problem, we use the DNA barcode methodology and performed a phylogeographic analysis by sequencing of the mitochondrial DNA genes [control region and cytochrome gene c oxidase (COI)] with the aim of evaluate the real diversity of piranhas and pacus in the Amazon; and also to perform a comparative analysis of some Serrasalmids taxa widely distributed in the Amazon. For diversity analysis were used 1,036 sequences of the COI gene from 68 species and morphotypes of Serrasalmids. For the phylogeographic analysis were used concatenated sequences of COI gene and control region from 74 individuals of S. rhombeus, 35 of Pygocentrus nattereri, 26 of Myloplus schomburgkii and 26 of Myleus setiger. The results indicate high levels cryptic diversity within Serrasalmids. From a total of 68 morphological species analyzed, 82 species were molecularly identified. The largest number of intraspecific lineages was observed within the pacus of the Myleus, Myloplus and Mylesinus genera; and within the piranhas of Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus genera. This wide intraspecific divergence occurs exactly in the genera with higher taxonomic uncertainties and wider distribution of its species. The results also show that S. rhombeus, P. nattereri, M. schomburgkii and M. setiger not behave like panmitic populations within their occurrence areas, showing structured lineages with divergence time dating from the Pliocene. Vicariant events during this period appear to be responsible for the current structure of these lineages in the Amazon.