DNA barcoding reveals overlooked species diversity in rays and sharks of Côte d'Ivoire

DNA barcoding reveals overlooked species diversity in rays and sharks of Côte d'Ivoire | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article DNA barcoding reveals overlooked species diversity in rays and sharks of Côte d'Ivoire Aboueut Beatrice Judith Carine ADOUS, N'Guessan Emmanuel KOUAME, and 8 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7655254/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 08 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Marine Biodiversity → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Rays and sharks are increasingly at risk of extinction due to anthropogenic pressures, including industrial fishing, bycatch and habitat degradation, and climate change. Their slow life histories and challenges in accurate species identification further hinder effective conservation. This study focused on ray and shark species along the coast of Côte d’Ivoire, aiming to achieve more accurate taxonomic resolution to improve specimen identification. To achieve this, we employed an integrative taxonomic approach combining morphological analyses and genetic data from two mitochondrial markers: COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) and NADH2 (NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2), in order to describe the diversity of elasmobranchs landed, identify potential species complexes requiring further investigation, and assess the vulnerability of the captured elasmobranchs. Our study included 220 specimens of rays and sharks collected from 11 landing sites between February 2022 and September 2024. Sequence analysis revealed 32 Barcode Index Numbers (BINs), 11 of which were newly recorded in the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD). Several unidentified genetic lineages were detected, suggesting the presence of cryptic species, misidentified taxa or potential undescribed species, including Torpedo cf. torpedo, Aetomylaeus cf. bovinus, Gymnura cf. sereti, Raja cf. miraletus, and Squalus cf. blainville. Notably, most of the identified species are listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List. These findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive taxonomic evaluations and reassessments of conservation statuses, while also highlighting the importance of incorporating molecular tools into national fisheries monitoring and management strategies. Elasmobranch COI NADH2 integrative taxonomy cryptic species Biodiversity conservation Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 08 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Marine Biodiversity → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 07 Oct, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 07 Oct, 2025 Editor invited by journal 30 Sep, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 29 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 18 Sep, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7655254","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":525766664,"identity":"d148e752-cfc7-4093-8689-a7b362b46cab","order_by":0,"name":"Aboueut Beatrice Judith Carine 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