The complete mitochondrial genome of the endangered Atlantic Pygmy Devil Ray, Mobula hypostoma (Bancroft, 1831), from Brazil

• Published in: Molecular biology reports Vol. 51; no. 1; p. 1052
• Main Authors: Bucair, Nayara, Garrido, Amana G., Capel, Kátia C. C., Bruno, Carlos E. M., Schabiuk, Leticia, Kitahara, Marcelo V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.12.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal Anatomy; Animal Biochemistry; Animals; Atlantic Ocean; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brazil; Brief Report; Bycatch; Coastal zone; DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics; Endangered Species; Genome, Mitochondrial - genetics; Genomes; Histology; Life Sciences; Mitochondria; Mobula; Mobula hypostoma; Morphology; Nucleotide sequence; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal - genetics; RNA, Transfer - genetics; rRNA; Sequence Analysis, DNA - methods; Skates, Fish - classification; Skates, Fish - genetics; Brazil; Atlantic Ocean; Mitochondrial DNA; Molecular biology; Conservation genetics; Mobulid
• ISSN: 0301-4851; 1573-4978; 1573-4978
• DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09982-9

Background Mobulidae is a monophyletic family within the Myliobatiformes that comprises pelagic species represented by manta and devil rays. Among the genus Mobula , the Atlantic Pygmy Devil Ray - Mobula hypostoma - is reported in coastal regions exclusively in tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean from 1 to 100 m deep. In Brazil, M. hypostoma is one of the least studied Mobula species. It is regularly misidentified, especially as Mobula thurstoni , and is commonly listed as bycatch, in fishery inventories, or related to opportunistic sightings in the national territory. Methods and results Here, we describe the complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) from Mobula hypostoma , which is 18,141 bp in length and comprises 13 protein-coding, two ribosomal RNA, and 22 transfer RNA genes. The M. hypostoma mitochondrial genes organisation and mitochondrial genome length are similar to other Mobula species, and the phylogenetic reconstruction indicates M. hypostoma as closely related to Mobula munkiana . Conclusions The Brazilian mitogenome of M. hypostoma is expected to be a valuable resource for molecular-based species identification, and evolutionary and phylogeography studies.