[PROVISIONAL] Genetic evidence for a species complex within the piranha Serrasalmus maculatus (Characiformes, Serrasalmidae) from three Neotropical River basins based on mitochondrial DNA sequences

Abstract Mitochondrial molecular markers (DNA sequences of D-loop, cytochrome b and cytochrome c oxidase I) were employed to characterize populations of the piranha Serrasalmus maculatus from Upper Paraná, Upper Paraguay and Tocantins River basins. D-loop sequences of S. maculatus population from Paraná-Paraguay River basin exhibited tandem repeats of short motifs (12 base pairs) and variable numbers, depending on specimens, accounting for length variation. Concatenated mitochondrial sequences suggested that S. maculatus encompass different mitochondrial DNA lineages. Although sampling was r...