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Lolis LA, Miranda RJ, Barros F. The effects of an invasive soft coral on the structure of native benthic communities. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 183:105802. [PMID: 36403410 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Species invasion is a major threat to marine biodiversity and function; thus, studying the effects of recently reported exotic species is extremely important. Several soft coral species (Alcyonacea) have invaded the Atlantic Ocean but their effects are poorly known. Here, we investigated the effects of the invasive species Sarcothelia sp. (Alcyonacea, Xeniidae) on native benthic shallow reef communities in Brazil. We hypothesized that increasing Sarcothelia sp. abundance would be related to species richness decreases and native community structure changes. Multivariate analysis showed significant dissimilarity between invaded (high Sarcothelia sp. abundance) and non-invaded areas (high abundance of the octocoral Neospongodes atlantica and zoantharians). The invaded area showed less species composition variability (i.e., homogenization) than non-invaded ones. Within the invaded area we observed that Sarcothelia sp. abundance reduced species richness. The lowest native benthic richness (10 taxa) was observed in a transect with the highest invader cover, while the transect with the lowest Sarcothelia sp. cover presented 26 native taxa. These findings are likely related to the invasive novel functional traits, i.e., invader growth form and allelochemicals. A clear inverse abundance pattern between invasive Sarcothelia sp. and N. atlantica, indicated an intense competition between octocorals. Our study showed remarkable evidence of negative impacts of invasive soft corals on reef biodiversity. There is an urgent need for experiments evaluating changes in different ecological processes and to implement management actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Assumpção Lolis
- Laboratório de Ecologia Bentônica, CIENAM, Instituto de Biologia and INCT Estudos Interdisciplinares e Transdisciplinares em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil. Rua Barão de Jeremoabo, s/n. Campus Ondina, 40170-115, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Ricardo J Miranda
- Laboratório de Biologia Marinha e Conservação, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Tabuleiro do Martins, CEP: 57072-900, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
| | - Francisco Barros
- Laboratório de Ecologia Bentônica, CIENAM, Instituto de Biologia and INCT Estudos Interdisciplinares e Transdisciplinares em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil. Rua Barão de Jeremoabo, s/n. Campus Ondina, 40170-115, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
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Koido T, Imahara Y, Fukami H. Xenia konohana sp. nov. (Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea), a new soft coral species in the family Xeniidae from Miyazaki, Japan. Zookeys 2022; 1085:29-49. [PMID: 35210904 PMCID: PMC8831390 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1085.77924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A new soft coral species, Xeniakonohanasp. nov. (Alcyonacea, Xeniidae), is described from Miyazaki in the warm-temperate region of Japan. This new species has conspicuous and unique spindle sclerites in addition to the simple ellipsoid platelet-shaped sclerites typically found in the genus Xenia. These unique spindles are a specific key morphological characteristic for this new species and for differentiating this species among congeneric species.
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Sikorskaya TV, Efimova KV, Imbs AB. Lipidomes of phylogenetically different symbiotic dinoflagellates of corals. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2021; 181:112579. [PMID: 33166751 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2020.112579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The structural base of all membranes of symbiotic dinoflagellates (SD) is composed of glycolipids and betaine lipids, whereas triacylglycerols (TG) constitute an energy reserve and are involved in biosynthesis of glycolipids. Since data on the SD lipidome and the host's influence on symbionts' lipidome are scanty, we analyzed and compared the lipidomes of SD isolated from the zoantharian Palythoa tuberculosa and the alcyonarian Sinularia heterospiculata. A sequencing of nuclear gene regions showed that both cnidarians hosted the dinoflagellates Cladocopium sp. (subclades C1 and C3), but the zoantharian also contained the dinoflagellates Durusdinium trenchii (clade D). The presence of the thermotolerant D. trenchii resulted in a higher unsaturation of mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerols (MGDG and DGDG), but a lower unsaturation of sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG). The same features were earlier described for same SD from a reef-building coral. Hence, the profile of glycolipid molecules, which form SD thylakoid membranes, seems to be species-specific and does not depend on the host's taxonomic position. In contrast, the betaine lipid molecular species profile of diacylglyceryl-3-O-carboxyhydroxymethylcholine (DGCC), which forms SD cell membranes, can be influenced by the host. The profiles of the TG molecular species from freshly isolated SD have been determined for the first time. These molecular species can be divided on the basis of the acyl group in sn-2 position. The TG with 16:0 acyl group in sn-2 position may enrich total TG of a cnidarian colony and originate from SD cytoplasm. In contrast, TG 18:3/18:4/18:3 may be biosynthetically related with DGDG and concentrated in SD plastoglobules. Our data may be useful for further investigations of natural and technogenic variations in microalgal lipids and symbiont-host interactions in marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana V Sikorskaya
- A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690041, Vladivostok, Russian Federation.
| | - Kseniya V Efimova
- A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690041, Vladivostok, Russian Federation; Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Aquatic Organisms, Far Eastern Federal University, 690091, Vladivostok, Russian Federation
| | - Andrey B Imbs
- A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690041, Vladivostok, Russian Federation
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Núñez-Flores M, Gomez-Uchida D, López-González PJ. Molecular systematics of Thouarella (Octocorallia:Primnoidae) with the description of three new species from the Southern Ocean based on combined molecular and morphological evidence. INVERTEBR SYST 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/is20078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Thouarella Gray, 1870, is one of the most speciose genera among gorgonians of the family Primnoidae (Cnidaria:Octocorallia:Anthozoa), being remarkably diverse in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic seafloor. However, their diversity in the Southern Ocean is likely underestimated. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers were integrated with species delimitation approaches as well as morphological colonial and polyps features and skeletal SEM examinations to describe and illustrate three new species within Thouarella, from the Weddell Sea, Southern Ocean: T. amundseni sp. nov., T. dolichoespinosa sp. nov. and T. pseudoislai sp. nov. Our species delimitation results suggest, for the first time, the potential presence of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic cryptic species of primnoids, based on the likely presence of sibling species within T. undulata and T. crenelata. With the three new species here described, the global diversity of Thouarella has increased to 41 species, 15 of which are endemic to the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters. Consequently, our results provide new steps for uncovering the shelf benthonic macrofauna’s hidden diversity in the Southern Ocean. Finally, we recommend using an integrative taxonomic framework in this group of organisms and species delimitation approaches because the distinctions between some Thouarella species based only on a superficial examination of their macro- and micromorphological features is, in many cases, limited.
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Hu M, Zheng X, Fan CM, Zheng Y. Lineage dynamics of the endosymbiotic cell type in the soft coral Xenia. Nature 2020; 582:534-538. [PMID: 32555454 PMCID: PMC7332420 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2385-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Many corals harbour symbiotic dinoflagellate algae. The algae live inside coral cells in a specialized membrane compartment known as the symbiosome, which shares the photosynthetically fixed carbon with coral host cells while host cells provide inorganic carbon to the algae for photosynthesis1. This endosymbiosis—which is critical for the maintenance of coral reef ecosystems—is increasingly threatened by environmental stressors that lead to coral bleaching (that is, the disruption of endosymbiosis), which in turn leads to coral death and the degradation of marine ecosystems2. The molecular pathways that orchestrate the recognition, uptake and maintenance of algae in coral cells remain poorly understood. Here we report the chromosome-level genome assembly of a Xenia species of fast-growing soft coral3, and use this species as a model to investigate coral–alga endosymbiosis. Single-cell RNA sequencing identified 16 cell clusters, including gastrodermal cells and cnidocytes, in Xenia sp. We identified the endosymbiotic cell type, which expresses a distinct set of genes that are implicated in the recognition, phagocytosis and/or endocytosis, and maintenance of algae, as well as in the immune modulation of host coral cells. By coupling Xenia sp. regeneration and single-cell RNA sequencing, we observed a dynamic lineage progression of the endosymbiotic cells. The conserved genes associated with endosymbiosis that are reported here may help to reveal common principles by which different corals take up or lose their endosymbionts. Single-cell RNA sequencing identifies the pattern of gene expression during lineage progression in endosymbiotic cells of the fast-growing soft coral Xenia, revealing principles that underlie uptake and maintenance of endosymbionts by this coral.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjie Hu
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Xiaobin Zheng
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Chen-Ming Fan
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Yixian Zheng
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Koido T, Imahara Y, Fukami H. High species diversity of the soft coral family Xeniidae (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea) in the temperate region of Japan revealed by morphological and molecular analyses. Zookeys 2019; 862:1-22. [PMID: 31341383 PMCID: PMC6635379 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.862.31979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The soft coral family Xeniidae, commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions, consists of 20 genera and 162 species. To date, few studies on this family have been conducted in Japan, especially at higher latitudes. Although molecular phylogenetic analyses have recently been used to distinguish soft coral species, it is difficult to identify species and genera in this family due to the limited taxonomic indices and high morphological variation. In this study, we found a large Xeniidae community off the coast of Oshima Island (31°31.35'N, 131°24.27'E) at Miyazaki, Kyushu Island, located in the temperate region of Japan. The species composition and molecular phylogenetic relationships were investigated to uncover the species diversity of Xeniidae in this community. A total of 182 xeniid specimens were collected and identified to the species level, after which the samples were molecularly analyzed using a mitochondrial marker (ND2) and a nuclear marker (ITS) to infer the phylogenetic relationships. A total of 14 xeniid species were identified, including five undescribed species from five genera (Anthelia, Heteroxenia, Sympodium, Xenia, and Yamazatum). Miyazaki was identified as having the highest xeniid species diversity in Japan. The molecular phylogenetic trees inferred from each marker recovered very similar topologies: four genera (Anthelia, Heteroxenia, Sympodium, and Yamazatum) were monophyletic, whereas one (Xenia) was polyphyletic. Thus, except for Xenia, the morphological characteristics used for traditional taxonomy well reflected the phylogeny of the Xeniidae at the genus level. On the other hand, our results show that further taxonomic revisions of Xenia are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuki Koido
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Agriculture and Engineering, University of Miyazaki, Gakuen-kibanadai-nishi-1-1, Miyazaki, 889-2192, Japan.,Biological Institute on Kuroshio, Kuroshio Biological Research Foundation, 560 Nishidomari, Otsuki, Kochi 788-0333, Japan
| | - Yukimitsu Imahara
- Wakayama Laboratory, Biological Institute on Kuroshio, 300-11 Kire, Wakayama, 640-0351, Japan
| | - Hironobu Fukami
- Department of Marine Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Gakuen-kibanadai-nishi-1-1, Miyazaki, 889-2192, Japan
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Benayahu Y, van Ofwegen LP, McFadden CS. Evaluating the genus Cespitularia MilneEdwards & Haime, 1850 with descriptions of new genera of the family Xeniidae (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea). Zookeys 2018:63-101. [PMID: 29755257 PMCID: PMC5943446 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.754.23368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Several species of the family Xeniidae, previously assigned to the genus Cespitularia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1850 are revised. Based on the problematical identity and status of the type of this genus, it became apparent that the literature has introduced misperceptions concerning its diagnosis. A consequent examination of the type colonies of Cespitularia coerulea May, 1898 has led to the establishment of the new genus Conglomeratuscleragen. n. and similarly to the assignment of Cespitularia simplex Thomson & Dean, 1931 to the new genus, Caementabundagen. n. Both new genera are described and depicted and both feature unique sclerite morphology, further highlighting the importance of sclerite microstructure for generic position among Xeniidae. Freshly collected material was subjected to molecular phylogenetic analysis, whose results substantiated the taxonomic assignment of the new genera, as well as the synonymies of several others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yehuda Benayahu
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Leen P van Ofwegen
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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Benayahu Y, McFadden CS, Shoham E. Search for mesophotic octocorals (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) and their phylogeny: I. A new sclerite-free genus from Eilat, northern Red Sea. Zookeys 2017:1-11. [PMID: 28769713 PMCID: PMC5523377 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.680.12727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
This communication describes a new octocoral, Altumiadelicatagen. n. & sp. n. (Octocorallia: Clavulariidae), from mesophotic reefs of Eilat (northern Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea). This species lives on dead antipatharian colonies and on artificial substrates. It has been recorded from deeper than 60 m down to 140 m and is thus considered to be a lower mesophotic octocoral. It has no sclerites and features no symbiotic zooxanthellae. The new genus is compared to other known sclerite-free octocorals. Molecular phylogenetic analyses place it in a clade with members of families Clavulariidae and Acanthoaxiidae, and for now we assign it to the former, based on colony morphology. The polyphyletic family Clavulariidae is, however, in need of a thorough revision once the morphological distinctions among its phylogenetically distinct clades are better understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yehuda Benayahu
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | | | - Erez Shoham
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel
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Wares JP. Mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence data are not an improvement for species identification in scleractinian corals. PeerJ 2014; 2:e564. [PMID: 25250216 PMCID: PMC4168843 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 08/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
There are well-known difficulties in using the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) mitochondrial gene region for population genetics and DNA barcoding in corals. A recent study of species divergence in the endemic Caribbean genus Agaricia reinforced such knowledge. However, the growing availability of whole mitochondrial genomes may help indicate more promising gene regions for species delineation. I assembled the whole mitochondrial genome for Agaricia fragilis from Illumina single-end 250 bp reads and compared this sequence to that of the congener A. humilis. Although these data suggest that the cytochrome b (CYB) gene region is more promising, comparison of available CYB sequence data from scleractinian and other reef-building corals indicates that multilocus approaches are still probably necessary for phylogenetic and population genetic analysis of recently-diverged coral taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P. Wares
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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Janes MP, McFadden CS, Chanmethakul T. A new species of Ovabunda (Octocorallia, Xeniidae) from the Andaman Sea, Thailand with notes on the biogeography of this genus. Zookeys 2014:1-17. [PMID: 25152664 PMCID: PMC4141170 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.431.7751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A survey of xeniid octocorals was carried out in the waters off Southwestern Thailand in September, 2007. Microscopic investigation of the colonies revealed that three specimens belonged to the genus Ovabunda. Gross morphological examination is presented here accompanied by scanning electron micrographs of the sclerites. Molecular phylogenetic analysis showed identical genotypes at mtMutS, COI, and 28S rDNA for all three specimens and supports their generic assignment. Colony size and shape, sclerite size, and pinnule arrangement differ from nominal species of Ovabunda and thus a new species, O. andamanensis is introduced here. This work also presents a new eastern geographical record for the genus Ovabunda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Janes
- AquaTouch, 12040 North 32nd Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85028, USA
| | - Catherine S McFadden
- Harvey Mudd College, Department of Biology, 1250 North Dartmouth Avenue, Claremont, California 91711, USA
| | - Thanongsak Chanmethakul
- Phuket Rajabhat University, Department of Applied Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Phuket, Thailand 83000
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