Morphological and molecular clue resolves confusion in Pisodonophis boro complex with re-description of Pisodonophis boro (Hamilton 1822) from type locality and description of a new species from India

Abstract

The overlapping morphological features, vertebral count, and molecular analysis of the cytochrome C oxidase subunit I mitochondrial gene sequences of the related congener species of the genus Pisodonophis retrieved from the available database clearly show the involvement of multiple species in Pisodonophis boro (Hamilton) complex. The original description of P. boro contains only dorsal and anal fin counts. The vertebral count given by authors never included specimens from the type locality. In order to resolve the confusion in the species complex, a neotype for P. boro has been designated from old collections of Sir Francis Day. Pisodonophis boro is now re-described as having a lower range of vertebrae and fin ray count: 149–156 vertebrae, 334–346 dorsal fin rays, and 232–249 anal fin rays. At the same time, a species having a higher range of vertebrae and fin ray count: 170–173 vertebrae, 374–400 dorsal fin rays, and 248–269 anal fin rays, has been described here as Pisodonophis kalinga sp. nov. The obtained gene sequences of currently identified P. boro form a distinct cluster with a strong bootstrap support of 100%. The gene sequences of Pisodonophis kalinga sp. nov. form a distinct cluster in the maximum likelihood tree analysis with a strong bootstrap support of 99%. The above mentioned molecular analysis is further supported by species delimitation analysis which indicates that at least five species are involved in the reported sequence tagged as P. boro.