Neospongodes atlantica , a potential case of an early biological introduction in the Southwestern Atlantic

PeerJ

article

Ralf T.S. Cordeiro¹  Ágatha Nascimento Carpinelli³  Ronaldo B. Francini-Filho⁴  Barbara de Moura Neves⁵  Carlos D. Pérez⁶  Umberto de Oliveira⁷  Paulo Sumida⁸  Henrique Maranhão⁹  Leonardo H.U. Monteiro^1,10  Pedro Carneiro^1,12  Marcelo V. Kitahara² 

[1] Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco;Department of Zoology ,(Invertebrate Zoology), National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution;Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Ecologia Marinha e Costeira, Universidade Federal de São Paulo;Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo;Department of Fisheries and Oceans;Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco;Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Teoria, Aplicações e Valores, Universidade Federal da Bahia;Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo;Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia, Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco;IVIG, COPPE, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro;Grupo Sandmine & Inframar;Universidade Federal do Delta do Paranaíba

关键词: Octocorallia;    Invasion;    Continental shelf;    Soft-bottom;    Habitat Modelling;    Brazil;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.14347

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

Soft corals (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) are discreet components in the Southwestern Atlantic reef communities. In Brazil, the native octocoral shallow-reef fauna is mostly represented by gorgonians. Consequently, except for the nephtheid Neospongodes atlantica, most of the known soft corals from this region are considered non-indigenous. Hitherto, the monotypic genus Neospongodes, which was proposed in the early 1900s, has been considered to be endemic to the Northeastern Brazilian coast. Herein, based on in situ records, we show that N. atlantica is a substrate generalist that has been probably expanding its distribution by dominating extensive shallow and mesophotic sandy and reef bottoms, generally outcompeting other reef benthic organisms, including Brazilian endemic species. Based on previously unidentified museum specimens, new records, and a broad literature review, we provide the most comprehensive modelling of the potential distribution of this species in the Southwestern Atlantic. Based on molecular inference supported by in-depth morphological analysis, the probable non-indigenous and, therefore, ancient introduction of N. atlantica in Brazilian waters is discussed. Finally, these results support that Neospongodes and the Indo-Pacific Stereonephthya are synonyms, which led us to propose the latter as taxonomically invalid.

【 授权许可】

CC BY