Phylogeny of the comb-tooth blenny genus Scartella (Blenniiformes: Blenniidae) reveals several cryptic lineages and a trans-Atlantic relationship

Here we present the first phylogeny of the genus Scartella based on mitochondrial data. The analysis strongly corroborates the validity of all species of the genus and shows that Scartella cristata, a species with a disjunct distribution, is a lineage complex comprising five clades: two in Caribbean waters, another in the East Atlantic/Mediterranean and two in Brazil. Brazilian clades occur in sympatry from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul states (southern Brazil). One clade (BRA 1) is unique to Brazil, while the other (BRA 2) is closely related to the eastern Atlantic lineage. Possible explanations for this pattern include both natural and anthropic mechanisms.