Abstract
Genetic analyses of samples of the genus Coryphaena caught in the Canary Islands clearly revealed the existence of two different species, C. hippurus , Linnaeus 1758 and C. equiselis , Linnaeus 1758. Each species was fixed for different alleles at 11 out of 30 loci and a large genetic distance (0.814) was found between the two species. Previously only C. hippurus has been reported in the Canary Islands fishery. The two Coryphaena species are similar in appearance, so C. equiselis can be confused with C. hippurus by fishers, especially small specimens C. hippurus and C. equiselis .