Genetic and Morphological Evidence to Split the Coris julis Species Complex (Teleostei: Labridae) Into Two Sibling Species: Resurrection of Coris melanura (Lowe, 1839) Redescription of Coris julis (Linnaeus, 1758)

The genus Coris contains 28 valid species, most of them with an Indo-Pacific distribution and only two species recognized from the eastern Atlantic: atlantica C. julis . This last has a large variability in its coloration, which caused that during first half XIX century sexes were considered as different species. Two liveries have been described for : (i) primary or “ giofredi ,” corresponds to females primary-phase males is common Atlantic Mediterranean populations; (ii) secondary ” secondary-phase males, populations. In this study we demonstrate existence sibling within complex. Morphological molecular analyses showed complex composed species: , distributed mainly Mediterranean, was originally described; C melanura by Lowe 1839 resurrected here, western Mediterranean. We also discuss possible speciation event understand contemporary patterns