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Do cryptic species exist in Hoplobatrachus rugulosus? An examination using four nuclear genes, the cyt b gene and the complete MT genome

Yu D 1 , Zhang J 2 , Li P 3 , Zheng R 4 , Shao C 5

Affiliations 

  • 1 Institute of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, Zhejiang Province, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu Province, China
  • 2 Institute of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, Zhejiang Province, China; College of Chemistry and Life Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, Zhejiang Province, China
  • 3 Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu Province, China
  • 4 Institute of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Special Aquaculture Source, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, Zhejiang Province, China
  • 5 College of Chemistry and Life Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, Zhejiang Province, China
PLoS One, 2015;10(4):e0124825.
PMID: 25875761 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124825

Abstract

he Chinese tiger frog Hoplobatrachus rugulosus is widely distributed in southern China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is listed in Appendix II of CITES as the only Class II nationally-protected frog in China. The bred tiger frog known as the Thailand tiger frog, is also identified as H. rugulosus. Our analysis of the Cyt b gene showed high genetic divergence (13.8%) between wild and bred samples of tiger frog. Unexpected genetic divergence of the complete mt genome (14.0%) was also observed between wild and bred samples of tiger frog. Yet, the nuclear genes (NCX1, Rag1, Rhod, Tyr) showed little divergence between them. Despite this and their very similar morphology, the features of the mitochondrial genome including genetic divergence of other genes, different three-dimensional structures of ND5 proteins, and gene rearrangements indicate that H. rugulosus may be a cryptic species complex. Using Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and maximum parsimony analyses, Hoplobatrachus was resolved as a sister clade to Euphlyctis, and H. rugulosus (BT) as a sister clade to H. rugulosus (WT). We suggest that we should prevent Thailand tiger frogs (bred type) from escaping into wild environments lest they produce hybrids with Chinese tiger frogs (wild type).

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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