Data from: DNA barcoding provides support for a cryptic species complex within the globally distributed and fishery important opah (Lampris guttatus)

The cornerstone of fisheries management relies on a solid taxonomic base and an understanding of how animals can be grouped into coherent management units. Surprisingly little is known about the basic biology and ecology of opah (Lampris guttatus), a globally distributed species that is commercially exploited and regionally common in the North Pacific. Recent efforts to collect life history data on this species uncovered evidence of two North Pacific morphotypes. Sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene (655bp) for these morphotypes and other specimens collected worldwide (n=480) produced five strongly diverged and well-supported clades. Additional sequence data from the cytochrome b gene (1141bp) as well as the nuclear recombination activating gene 1 (1323bp) corroborated these results, suggesting these five clades likely represent separate species. Our conclusion that opah is a complex of five separate species has implications for management and indicates a need to gather additional data on these poorly understood fishes.

渔业管理的核心基石依托于坚实的分类学基础，以及对动物如何被划分为连贯管理单元的认知体系。令人意外的是，人们对月鱼（Lampris guttatus）的基础生物学与生态学特征仍知之甚少；该物种全域分布，具备商业开发价值，且在北太平洋区域较为常见。近期针对该物种开展的生活史数据采集工作，发现了北太平洋存在两种形态型的相关证据。针对上述形态型以及全球采集的480份标本（n=480）的线粒体细胞色素c氧化酶I基因（mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene，655bp）进行测序，得到了5个分化显著且支持度优异的进化支。后续通过细胞色素b基因（cytochrome b gene，1141bp）与核重组激活基因1（nuclear recombination activating gene 1，1323bp）获取的额外序列数据，佐证了上述结论，表明这5个进化支大概率代表独立的物种。我们得出的“月鱼是由5个独立物种构成的复合类群”这一结论，对渔业管理具有重要指导意义，同时也表明亟需针对这些认知匮乏的鱼类开展更多数据采集工作。