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Abstract

Phylogeography of Thorichthys meeki in Southeastern Mexico (Actinopteri: Cichlidae) †

by
Eduardo López-Segovia
1,2,3,*,‡,
Luis Fernando Del Moral-Flores
2,
Juan J. Schmitter-Soto
4,
Eduardo López-Urrutia
3,
Verónica García-Castillo
3,
Carlos Pérez-Plasencia
3,
Omar Domínguez-Domínguez
5,
Eloísa Torres-Hernández
6 and
Jorge Ciros-Pérez
7
1
Posgrado en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
2
Laboratorio de Zoología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
3
Laboratorio de Genómica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
4
Departamento de Sistemática y Ecología Acuática, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Av. Centenario km 5.5, Chetumal 77014, Mexico
5
Laboratorio de Biología Acuática “J. Javier Alvarado Díaz”, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia 58030, Mexico
6
Colección Nacional de Peces, Pabellón Nacional de la Biodiversidad, Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
7
Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva del Plancton, Investigación en Limnología Tropical (GILT), UIICSE, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Presented at the XI Iberian Congress of Ichthyology, Vila Real, Portugal, 23–27 June 2026.
Presenting author (Poster Presentation).
Proceedings 2026, 146(1), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2026146081 (registering DOI)
Published: 22 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The XI Iberian Congress of Ichthyology)

Abstract

Introduction: The fish fauna in the Yucatan Peninsula exhibit a unique composition, shaped by the region’s complex geological and hydrological history. Thorichthys meeki is a widely distributed cichlid species that has been the subject of morphological, behavioral, and phylogenetic studies. Nevertheless, the historical and biogeographical processes that have shaped its diversification and genetic structure remain unexplored. Objective: The objective of this study was to identify phylogeographic patterns and assess the genetic diversity of T. meeki in southeastern Mexico. Methodology: Genomic DNA was extracted from the muscle tissue of specimens preserved in 90% ethanol. DNA was amplified using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequences were obtained from two molecular markers: cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) and S7 intron 1. Phylogeographic analyses included genetic diversity indices molecular variance analyses to assess population structure and haplotype networks. Results: A total of 60 CO1 and 40 S7 intron 1 sequences were obtained from 26 sampling sites. For CO1, 14 haplotypes were identified, with high haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.84), and low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.0048). For S7 intron 1, 16 haplotypes were recovered with lower haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.543) and π = 0.021. A hierarchical AMOVA (2 groups) showed the greatest variation; 72.3% in CO1 and 79.8% in S7 within population groups with significant ΦST values. Haplotype networks identified three haplogroups for each gene. A single CO1 haplotype was found in 26 sequences from 13 sampling sites. For S7 intron 1, one haplotype was identified in 22 sequences and was shered from all populations. Conclusions: A widely distributed haplotype for CO1 and S7 reflects historical connectivity among hydrological systems. These preliminary results provide an interesting insights into the processesthat have influenced the distribution of T. meeki on the Yucatán Peninsula.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, E.L.-S., L.F.D.M.-F. and J.J.S.-S.; methodology, E.L.-S., E.L.-U., V.G.-C. and C.P.-P.; software, E.L.-S., E.T.-H.; validation, O.D.-D., J.J.S.-S., J.C.-P., C.P.-P. and L.F.D.M.-F.; formal analysis, E.L.-S., E.T.-H., E.L.-U., V.G.-C. and C.P.-P.; investigation, E.L.-S., J.J.S.-S., E.L.-U., V.G.-C.; resources, E.L.-S., L.F.D.M.-F., O.D.-D., E.L.-U., V.G.-C. and C.P.-P.; data curation, J.J.S.-S., O.D.-D. and L.F.D.M.-F.; writing—original draft preparation, E.L.-S.; writing—review and editing, L.F.D.M.-F., J.J.S.-S., O.D.-D., E.L.-U. and J.C.-P.; visualization, E.L.-S., E.T.-H.; supervision, E.L.-U., V.G.-C., J.C.-P. and L.F.D.M.-F.; project administration, J.J.S.-S., E.L.-U., and L.F.D.M.-F.; funding acquisition, E.L.-S., L.F.D.M.-F., O.D.-D. and C.P.-P. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by CONAHCYT-SECIHTI Scholarship, grant number 932500 and The APC was funded by CONAHCYT-SECIHTI.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Ethical review and approval were waived for this study due the material examined originates from and is preserved in ichthyological collections.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

López-Segovia, E.; Del Moral-Flores, L.F.; Schmitter-Soto, J.J.; López-Urrutia, E.; García-Castillo, V.; Pérez-Plasencia, C.; Domínguez-Domínguez, O.; Torres-Hernández, E.; Ciros-Pérez, J. Phylogeography of Thorichthys meeki in Southeastern Mexico (Actinopteri: Cichlidae). Proceedings 2026, 146, 81. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2026146081

AMA Style

López-Segovia E, Del Moral-Flores LF, Schmitter-Soto JJ, López-Urrutia E, García-Castillo V, Pérez-Plasencia C, Domínguez-Domínguez O, Torres-Hernández E, Ciros-Pérez J. Phylogeography of Thorichthys meeki in Southeastern Mexico (Actinopteri: Cichlidae). Proceedings. 2026; 146(1):81. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2026146081

Chicago/Turabian Style

López-Segovia, Eduardo, Luis Fernando Del Moral-Flores, Juan J. Schmitter-Soto, Eduardo López-Urrutia, Verónica García-Castillo, Carlos Pérez-Plasencia, Omar Domínguez-Domínguez, Eloísa Torres-Hernández, and Jorge Ciros-Pérez. 2026. "Phylogeography of Thorichthys meeki in Southeastern Mexico (Actinopteri: Cichlidae)" Proceedings 146, no. 1: 81. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2026146081

APA Style

López-Segovia, E., Del Moral-Flores, L. F., Schmitter-Soto, J. J., López-Urrutia, E., García-Castillo, V., Pérez-Plasencia, C., Domínguez-Domínguez, O., Torres-Hernández, E., & Ciros-Pérez, J. (2026). Phylogeography of Thorichthys meeki in Southeastern Mexico (Actinopteri: Cichlidae). Proceedings, 146(1), 81. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2026146081

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