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Diversity
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Genetic Connectivity, Species Diversity and Conservation Biology of Chondrichthyes
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Genetic Connectivity, Species Diversity and Conservation Biology of Chondrichthyes

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 11389

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Bautisse D. Postaire

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Florida International University, Biscayne Bay Campus, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
Interests: biodiversity; ecology and evolution; species diversity; evolution; taxonomy; marine biodiversity; systematics; population genetics; conservation biology; conservation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chondrichthyans, and especially elasmobranchs, are one of the most threatened marine taxa. Actions must be taken rapidly to ensure the long-term survival of these organisms, protecting both their morphologic and genetic diversity. To do so, stakeholders need the most precise information about organisms’ distribution and population connectivity to establish efficient management and conservation strategies, which stems from a taxonomy accurately representing the diversity of the group of interest.

Species delimitation is a vital enterprise within evolutionary biology and conservation: it bridges the historically independent disciplines of systematics, phylogeography and population genetics. While seminal studies combining molecular and morphological data highlighted the cryptic diversity of globally distributed morpho-species more than a decade ago, chondrichthyan taxonomy and identification are still mostly based on morphology. When such cryptic diversity is at risk of extinction, the disjunction between molecular systematics research and conservation policy becomes a significant problem: an integrative approach combining species hypothesis testing and population genetics is necessary to efficiently protect this genetic richness. Therefore, considering the ecological importance of chondrichthyans, we present this Special Issue focused on various aspects of their genetic diversity, aimed towards integrating taxonomy advances in conservation planning.

The scope includes, but is not limited to, the following fields: integrative taxonomy, species diversity and distribution, biogeographic patterns, evolutionary history, population genetics and conservation. If you are interested in this opportunity or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Dr. Bautisse D. Postaire
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • chondrichthyans
  • conservation genetics
  • integrative taxonomy
  • population genetics
  • phylogeography

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 13920 KiB  
Article
Species in Disguise: A New Species of Hornshark from Northern Australia (Heterodontiformes: Heterodontidae)
by William T. White, Frederik H. Mollen, Helen L. O’Neill, Lei Yang and Gavin J. P. Naylor
Diversity 2023, 15(7), 849; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15070849 - 12 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 8640
Abstract
A new species of hornshark is described from northwestern Australia based on six whole specimens and a single egg case. Heterodontus marshallae n. sp. was previously considered to be conspecific with H. zebra from the Western Pacific. The new species differs from H. [...] Read more.
A new species of hornshark is described from northwestern Australia based on six whole specimens and a single egg case. Heterodontus marshallae n. sp. was previously considered to be conspecific with H. zebra from the Western Pacific. The new species differs from H. zebra in the sequence of its NADH2 gene, several morphological characters, egg case morphology and key coloration features. Despite the coloration being similar between H. marshallae n. sp. and H. zebra, i.e., pale background with 22 dark brown bands and saddles, they differ consistently in two key aspects. Firstly, the snout of H. marshallae n. sp. has a dark semicircular bar, usually bifurcated for most of its length vs. a pointed, triangular shaped dark marking in H. zebra. Secondly, H. zebra has a dark bar originating below the posterior gill slits and extending onto anterior pectoral fin, which is absent in H. marshallae n. sp. The Heterodontus marshallae n. sp. is endemic to northwestern Australia and occurs in deeper waters (125–229 m) than H. zebra (0–143 m). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Connectivity, Species Diversity and Conservation Biology of Chondrichthyes)
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18 pages, 1761 KiB  
Article
Elasmobranch Diversity at Reunion Island (Western Indian Ocean) and Catches by Recreational Fishers and a Shark Control Program
by S. Jaquemet, N. Oury, T. Poirout, J. Gadenne, H. Magalon and A. Gauthier
Diversity 2023, 15(6), 768; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15060768 - 12 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1996
Abstract
Elasmobranchs are declining worldwide due to overfishing. In developing countries and island states in tropical regions, small-scale and recreational fisheries can significantly impact the dynamics of neritic species. We investigated elasmobranch diversity at Reunion Island, a marine biodiversity hotspot in the Western Indian [...] Read more.
Elasmobranchs are declining worldwide due to overfishing. In developing countries and island states in tropical regions, small-scale and recreational fisheries can significantly impact the dynamics of neritic species. We investigated elasmobranch diversity at Reunion Island, a marine biodiversity hotspot in the Western Indian Ocean. Combining information from the literature, catches from the local shark control program, results from a survey of local recreational fishing, and through barcoding of some specimens, we updated the list of elasmobranchs to 65 species. However, uncertainties remain about the actual presence of some species, such as the three sawfish species. Results highlight the disappearance of most coral reef-associated species, as already suspected. Results also suggest that local populations of scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) and bottlenose wedgefish (Rhynchobatus australiae) seem healthy, in contrast with their decline in the region. For some species, such as bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) and scalloped hammerhead sharks, Reunion Island is a site of reproduction, and as such, the species are exploited at both juvenile and adult stages, which likely increases their vulnerability. In the context of global elasmobranch decline, it is urgent to clarify the conservation status and evaluate the degree of isolation of local populations to identify research and conservation priorities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Connectivity, Species Diversity and Conservation Biology of Chondrichthyes)
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