ldentifying a spinnerdolphin, Stenella longirostris (Gray, 1828), stranded in Bahia State, Brazil, using mtDNA sequences

• Main Authors: Furtado Neto, Manuel Antonio A., Queiroz, Everaldo L., Zerbin, Alexandre Novaes, Carr, Steven M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: Universidade Federal do Ceará 2018
• Subjects: Stenella longirostris; mitochondrial DNA; identification; molecular genetics; Bahia State (Brazil); DNA mitocondrial; identificação; genética molecular; Estado da Bahia; Balaenoptera musculus; Blue whale; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://www.periodicos.ufc.br/arquivosdecienciadomar/article/view/31377; https://doi.org/10.32360/acmar.v31i1-2.31377

On June 7'h 1995, a young dolphin (genus Stenella) was found dead at 5tella Mares beach (13°00'30"5; 38°27'20"W), Salvador-Bahia. Externai characteristics of this individual suggested that it should be a spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris. However, because morphometry and color patterns of young Clymene's dolphin, S. clymene, are very similar to S. longirostris the chances of this dolphin being a Clymene's could not be dismissed. In an attempt to confirm the identification of this animal, a 401-bp fragment of the cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene was amplified and sequenced jrom muscle tissue. DNA sequences from 8 other Delphinidae species (Stenella attenuata, S. frontalis, S. longirostris, Steno bredanensis, Sotalia fluviatilis, Delphinus delphis, Tursiops truncatus and Lagenorhynchus acutus) were obtained from fresh tissue or from the NCBI GenBank and were used to perform a phylogenetic analysis with the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) sequence as an outgroup. Two base pairs substitutions were observedbetween the mtDNA sequence of the unidentified individual and the sequence of a S. longirostris from Fernando de Noronha Island, and nine differences were found between it and a same species of dolphin from North Atlantic, while 17 substitutions were reported between this dolphin and S. clymene. These results confirm that the dolphin from Bahiais a spinner dolphin. Phylogenetic analysis using maximum parsimony supported the results. This paper is an example of how molecular genetics can be useful to solve problems of identification of marine mammals. Um filhote de golfinho do gênero Stenella foi encontrado morto na praia de 5tella Mares (13°00'30"5 e 38°27'20"W), Salvador-Bahia, em 7 de Junho de 1995. As características externas desse indivíduo indicavam tratar-se de um golfinhorotador, Stenella longirostris. Entretanto, a possibilidade do exemplar corresponder a um golfinho de Clymene, S.clymene, não pode ser descartada em consequência do desconhecimento dos padrões morfológicos e de coloração ...