Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36930, USA.
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Science, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA.
Mol Biol Rep. 2022 Feb;49(2):1587-1591. doi: 10.1007/s11033-021-06932-7. Epub 2021 Nov 13.
The highfin blenny, Lupinoblennius nicholsi, is a marine fish species reported in reef and rocky inshore habitats with a disjunct distribution in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Overall, there are very few studies on this species and there is a scarcity of molecular resources for genetic comparisons. We set out to report the first mitochondrial genome for L. nicholsi and report a range expansion for the species.
An individual of L. nicholsi was collected from the coast of Dauphin Island, Alabama. The mitochondrial genome was sequenced, assembled, and annotated. The fragment corresponding to cytochrome oxidase I (COI) was used to compare this sample to other cryptobenthic species of the Atlantic. Finding a mature individual in the coast of Alabama implies this species has a continuous distribution throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico. The mitochondrial genome of L. nicholsi is 16,416 bp in length and comprised of 13 protein coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a non-coding D-loop. Comparisons using COI support the species is L. nicholsi and separate it from other cryptobenthic fishes found in the area.
This study represents the first mitochondrial genome for this L. nicholsi, serving as a reference for future comparative studies with marine fishes. By reporting the range expansion of this species, this study provides insights on the fish diversity of the Gulf of Mexico.
高鳍鼻鱼，Lupinoblennius nicholsi，是一种在珊瑚礁和近岸岩石栖息地中发现的海洋鱼类，分布在墨西哥湾南部呈不连续分布。总体而言，对该物种的研究非常少，遗传比较的分子资源也很稀缺。我们旨在报告 L. nicholsi 的第一个线粒体基因组，并报告该物种的分布范围扩大。
从阿拉巴马州多芬岛海岸采集了一个 L. nicholsi 个体。对线粒体基因组进行了测序、组装和注释。用细胞色素氧化酶 I (COI) 对应的片段将该样本与大西洋的其他隐底物种进行了比较。在阿拉巴马州海岸发现一个成熟个体意味着该物种在整个墨西哥湾北部有连续分布。L. nicholsi 的线粒体基因组长 16416bp，由 13 个蛋白质编码基因、22 个转移 RNA 基因、两个核糖体 RNA 基因和一个非编码 D 环组成。使用 COI 进行的比较支持该物种是 L. nicholsi，并将其与该地区发现的其他隐底鱼类区分开来。
本研究代表了该 L. nicholsi 的第一个线粒体基因组，为未来与海洋鱼类的比较研究提供了参考。通过报告该物种的分布范围扩大，本研究为墨西哥湾鱼类多样性提供了见解。
