Taxonomic revision and compared morphology of the species of the genus Isistius gill, 1865 (Squaliformes: Dalatiidae)

• Grant number: 13/09270-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: September 21, 2013
• End date: January 20, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Rodrigues de Carvalho
• Grantee: Flávia de Figueiredo Petean
• Supervisor: Karsten Edward Hartel
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 12/07668-4 - Taxonomic review and comparative morphology of the species of the genus Isistius Gill, 1865 (Chondrychthyes: Squaliformes: Dalatiidae), BP.MS

Abstract

The genus Isistius Gill, 1865, which belongs to the family Dalatiidae, currently has three valid species: Isistius brasiliensis Quoy & Gaimard, 1824, I. plutodus Garrick & Springer, 1964 and I. labialis Meng, Zhu & Li, 1985. The most common species, I. brasiliensis, has a wide geographic distribution, and can be found in subtempered and tropical seas; a comparative analysis of specimens from different localities has never been done. This project proposes to study thoroughly the morphological variation at this species along its distribution, elucidating if it is only one species or if it is a complex of species. The other two species, I. plutodus and I. labialis, are known for only some specimens, raising doubts about their validity, since I. brasiliensis is widely distributed. As I. labialis has only two collected specimens, one at China Sea and the other at South Pacific Ocean, there will have to be done a detailed comparative analysis of these individuals to test the legitimacy of this species. The same will be done with the five known specimens of I. plutodus, three from South Pacific Ocean and two from West Atlantic Ocean. The representatives of the three species will be studied with the purpose of dividing them morphologically and re-describing them through more precise characters. Therefore, this study will analyze minutely the external morphology, such as coloration, dentition, dermal denticles, body proportions, and internal, like skeleton, musculature, lateral line channels, of the known species, also covering morphometric and meristic aspects to better define the genus, besides to provide relevant morphologic subsides that may integrate future phylogenetic analysis inside the family. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PETEAN, FLAVIA DE FIGUEIREDO; DE CARVALHO, MARCELO R.. Comparative morphology and systematics of the cookiecutter sharks, genus Isistius Gill (1864) (Chondrichthyes: Squaliformes: Dalatiidae). PLoS One, v. 13, n. 8, AUG 20 2018. (12/09877-0, 13/09270-0, 12/07668-4, 12/05391-5, 12/02349-8)