The Draft Genome Sequences of 63 Species of Catfish (Ariidae, Siluriformes).

We present genome sequences of 63 species of catfish from the Ariidae family. Illumina sequencing was performed on tissue from wild-collected museum specimens. The reads were assembled using a de novo method followed by a finishing step. The raw and assembled data are publicly available via Genbank.

The Complete Genome Sequences of 7 Hypoplectrus species (Serranidae, Perciformes).

Species in the genus Hypoplectrus are found primarily in coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, particularly around Florida and the Bahamas. They are a popular choice for hobbyist saltwater aquariums. Members of this genus are simultaneous hermaphrodites, as they have both male and female sexual organs at the same time as an adult. We present the genome sequences of 7 species of Hypoplectrus. Raw read data and assembled genomes are available in Genbank.

A Comparative Phylogeography of Three Marine Species with Different PLD Modes Reveals Two Genetic Breaks across the Southern Caribbean Sea.

The comparative phylogeography of marine species with contrasting dispersal potential across the southern Caribbean Sea was evaluated by the presence of two putative barriers: the Magdalena River plume (MRP) and the combination of the absence of a rocky bottom and the almost permanent upwelling in the La Guajira Peninsula (ARB + PUG). Three species with varying biological and ecological characteristics (i.e., dispersal potentials) that inhabit shallow rocky bottoms were selected: Cittarium pica (PLD < 6 days), Acanthemblemaria rivasi (PLD < 22 days), and Nerita tessellata (PLD > 60 days). We generated a set of SNPs for the three species using the ddRad-seq technique. Samples of each species were collected in five locations from Capurganá to La Guajira. For the first time, evidence of a phylogeographic break caused by the MRP is provided, mainly for A. rivasi (AMOVA: ΦCT = 0.420). The ARB + PUG barrier causes another break for A. rivasi (ΦCT = 0.406) and C. pica (ΦCT = 0.224). Three populations (K = 3) were identified for A. rivasi and C. pica, while N. tessellata presented one population (K = 1). The Mantel correlogram indicated that A. rivasi and C. pica fit the hierarchical population model, and only the A. rivasi and C. pica comparisons showed phylogeographic congruence. Our results demonstrate how the biological traits of these three species and the biogeographic barriers have influenced their phylogeographic structure.

The Complete Genome Sequences of three species from the killifish genus Kryptolebias (Rivulidae, Cyprinodontiformes).

The killifish genus Kryptolebias currently contains seven recognized species found in freshwater and mangrove microhabitats in South and Central America, the Caribbean, and Florida. Kryptolebias species have several unique features. Beyond its amphibious nature, two of the Kryptolebias species (K. marmoratus and K. hermaphroditus sensu Costa 2011) are the only known vertebrates capable of self-fertilization. Although reference genomes for self-fertilizing species are readily available, a complete understanding of the genomic basis leading to the transition in mating systems in the genus requires more genomic resources at a broader taxonomic level. Here, we present the complete genome sequences for three Kryptolebias species from Brazil: the endangered freshwater species Kryptolebias brasiliensis and Kryptolebias gracilis and the androdiecious but obligate outcrossing Kryptolebias ocellatus (sensu Costa 2011). The raw data and assembled genomes are available in GenBank.