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Issue: Vol. 5575 No. 4: 28 Jan. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-01-28
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.5
Page range: 555-562
Abstract views: 170
PDF downloaded: 56

Maintaining taxonomic accuracy in genetic databases: A duty for taxonomists—Reanalysis of the DNA sequences from Mercan et al. (2024) on the genus Potamothrix (Annelida, Clitellata) in Turkish lakes

Swiss Center for Applied Ecotoxicology (Ecotox Center); EPFL ENAC IIE-GE; 1015 Lausanne; Switzerland
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences; Taxonomy and Phylogeny; 29 rue Vautier; B-1000 Brussels; Belgium
Annelida aquatic oligochaetes turkey Potamothrix diversity public DNa databases

Abstract

Public DNA sequence databases such as GenBank are widely used for identification of organisms in ecological and taxonomic studies. It is important that these public databases contain as few mistakes as possible and that any errors detected in these databases are reported. Here, we reanalyzed the COI sequences of Mercan et al. (2024) and showed that they were mistakenly considered by these authors as belonging to different populations (haplotypes) within the species Potamothrix hammoniensis (Tubificinae). We found that they corresponded to four distinct Tubificinae lineages (species), Pothamothrix alatus paravanicus, Potamothrix bavaricus, Tubifex sp. and Potamothrix sp. Despite these identification errors, the data from Mercan et al. (2024) remain interesting as they provide new information on the diversity of the genus Potamothrix in Turkey. Prompt measures must be taken to correct these errors and prevent them from being detrimental to future studies.

 

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