Molecular and morphological congruence of three new cryptic Neopetrosia spp. in the Caribbean

PeerJ

article

Jan Vicente¹  Jaime Andrés Ríos²  Sven Zea³  Robert J. Toonen¹ 

[1] University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology;Universidad Nacional de Colombia—Sede Bogotá—Departamento de Biología, Ciudad Universitaria;Universidad Nacional de Colombia—Sede Caribe—Instituto de Estudios en Ciencias del Mar–CECIMAR

关键词: Demosponges;    Haplosclerida;    Neopetrosia;    Molecular systematics;    Caribbean;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.6371

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

Neopetrosia proxima (Porifera: Demospongiae: Haplosclerida) is described as a morphologically variable sponge common on shallow reefs of the Caribbean. However, the range of morphological and reproductive variation within putative N. proxima led us to hypothesize that such variability may be indicative of cryptic species rather than plasticity. Using DNA sequences and morphological characters we confirmed the presence of three previously undescribed species of Neopetrosia. Morphological differences of each new congener were best resolved by partial gene sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 over nuclear ones (18S rRNA and 28S rRNA). Several new characters for Neopetrosia were revealed by each new species. For example, N. dendrocrevacea sp. nov. and N. cristata sp. nov. showed the presence of grooves on the surface of the sponge body that converge at the oscula, and a more disorganized skeleton than previously defined for the genus. N. sigmafera200 μm), and (3) the presence of parenchymella larvae. Sampling of conspecifics throughout several locations in the Caribbean revealed larger spicules in habitats closer to the continental shelf than those in remote island locations. Our study highlights the importance of integrating molecular and morphological systematics for the discrimination of new Neopetrosia spp. despite belonging to one of several polyphyletic groups (families, genera) within the current definition of the order Haplosclerida.

【 授权许可】

CC BY