Range extensions of Pacific bone-eating worms (Annelida, Siboglinidae, Osedax)

First described in 2004 off California, Osedax worms are now known from many of the world's oceans, ranging from 10 to over 4000 m in depth. Currently, little is known about species ranges, since most descriptions are from single localities. In this study, we used new sampling in the north-eastern Pacific and available GenBank data from off Japan and Brazil to report expanded ranges for five species: Osedaxfrankpressi, O.knutei, O.packardorum, O.roseus and O.talkovici. We also provided additional DNA sequences from previously reported localities for two species: Osedaxpriapus and O.randyi. To assess the distribution of each species, we used cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences to generate haplotype networks and assess connectivity amongst localities where sampling permitted. Osedaxfrankpressi, O.packardorum, O.priapus, O.roseus and O.talkovici all had one or more dominant COI haplotypes shared by individuals at multiple localities, suggesting high connectivity throughout some or all of their ranges. Low ΦST values amongst populations for O.packardorum, O.roseus and O.talkovici confirmed high levels of gene flow throughout their known ranges. High ΦST values for O.frankpressi between the eastern Pacific and the Brazilian Atlantic showed little gene flow, reflected by the haplotype network, which had distinct Pacific and Atlantic haplotype clusters. This study greatly expands the ranges and provides insights into the phylogeography for these nine species.

Allopatric and Sympatric Drivers of Speciation in Alviniconcha Hydrothermal Vent Snails

Despite significant advances in our understanding of speciation in the marine environment, the mechanisms underlying evolutionary diversification in deep-sea habitats remain poorly investigated. Here, we used multigene molecular clocks and population genetic inferences to examine processes that led to the emergence of the six extant lineages of Alviniconcha snails, a key taxon inhabiting deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. We show that both allopatric divergence through historical vicariance and ecological isolation due to niche segregation contributed to speciation in this genus. The split between the two major Alviniconcha clades (separating A. boucheti and A. marisindica from A. kojimai, A. hessleri, and A. strummeri) probably resulted from tectonic processes leading to geographic separation, whereas the splits between co-occurring species might have been influenced by ecological factors, such as the availability of specific chemosynthetic symbionts. Phylogenetic origin of the sixth species, Alviniconcha adamantis, remains uncertain, although its sister position to other extant Alviniconcha lineages indicates a possible ancestral relationship. This study lays a foundation for future genomic studies aimed at deciphering the roles of local adaptation, reproductive biology, and host–symbiont compatibility in speciation of these vent-restricted snails.

A new species of the live-bearing fish genus Poeciliopsis from northern Mexico (Cyprinodontiformes, Poeciliidae)

Poeciliopsisjackschultzisp. nov., is described based on seven specimens (17.9–26.7 mm SL) from the Río Concepción (also known as Río Magdalena), Sonora, Mexico. The new species belongs to the Leptorhaphis species group and can be distinguished from other members of this group by features of the skeleton and colouration. The new species is sympatric with P.occidentalis, a hybridogenetic all-female biotype P.monacha-occidentalis, and hybrids between P.monacha-occidentalis females and P.jackschultzi males. The distribution of P.jackschultzi is highly restricted, and the main habitat, spring-fed marshy streams and pools, is susceptible to loss and degradation in a desert environment with increasing human water demand.

Host hybridization as a potential mechanism of lateral symbiont transfer in deep-sea vesicomyid clams

Deep-sea vesicomyid clams live in mutualistic symbiosis with chemosynthetic bacteria that are inherited through the maternal germ line. On evolutionary timescales, strictly vertical transmission should lead to cospeciation of host mitochondrial and symbiont lineages; nonetheless, examples of incongruent phylogenies have been reported, suggesting that symbionts are occasionally horizontally transmitted between host species. The current paradigm for vesicomyid clams holds that direct transfers cause host shifts or mixtures of symbionts. An alternative hypothesis suggests that hybridization between host species might explain symbiont transfers. Two clam species, Archivesica gigas and Phreagena soyoae, frequently co-occur at deep-sea hydrocarbon seeps in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Although the two species typically host gammaproteobacterial symbiont lineages marked by divergent 16S rRNA phylotypes, we identified a number of clams with the A. gigas mitotype that hosted symbionts with the P. soyoae phylotype. Demographic inference models based on genome-wide SNP data and three Sanger sequenced gene markers provided evidence that A. gigas and P. soyoae hybridized in the past, supporting the hypothesis that hybridization might be a viable mechanism of interspecific symbiont transfer. These findings provide new perspectives on the evolution of vertically transmitted symbionts and their hosts in deep-sea chemosynthetic environments.

An inordinate fondness for Osedax (Siboglinidae: Annelida): Fourteen new species of bone worms from California

We incorporate DNA sequences from a comprehensive sampling of taxa to provide an updated phylogeny of Osedax and discuss the remarkable diversity of this clade of siboglinids. We formally describe 14 new species of Osedax from Monterey Bay, California, USA, raising the total number of properly named Osedax species to 25. These new species had formerly been recognized by informal names in various publications, and on GenBank. The descriptions document the occurrence of dwarf males in five of the new species. The distribution for the 19 species of Osedax known to occur in Monterey Bay across depths from 385 to 2898 meters and various bone substrates is documented. The exploitation of extant bird and marine turtle bones by Osedax is reported for the first time.

GENOTYPIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS OF VARIATION IN GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION OF FISH HEMICLONES (POECILIOPSIS: POECILIIDAE)

The frozen-niche-variation model was proposed to account for the coexistence of genetically related clones in naturally occurring unisexual populations. This model is based on two assumptions: 1) ecologically different clones have multiple independent origins from sexual ancestors; and 2) the population of sexual ancestors contains genetic variability for ecologically relevant traits. To test these assumptions, we produced 14 new "hemiclones" (nonrecombining haploid genotypes) of fish (Poeciliopsis: Poeciliidae). Our ability to synthesize many new hemiclones demonstrates the feasibility of multiple independent origins of nonrecombining genotypes. A substantial proportion (10-50%) of the phenotypic variation among hemiclones in size at birth, juvenile growth rate, and fecundity had a genetic basis. Thus, we conclude that multiple origins can give rise to an assemblage of genetically distinct hemiclones, each with a unique combination of life-history traits. Additionally, a comparative analysis of two natural hemiclones revealed that the synthetic strains represent a broad field of variation from which natural hemiclones can be selected.

Geographical structure of endosymbiotic bacteria hosted by Bathymodiolus mussels at eastern Pacific hydrothermal vents

BACKGROUND

Chemolithoautotrophic primary production sustains dense invertebrate communities at deep-sea hydrothermal vents and hydrocarbon seeps. Symbiotic bacteria that oxidize dissolved sulfur, methane, and hydrogen gases nourish bathymodiolin mussels that thrive in these environments worldwide. The mussel symbionts are newly acquired in each generation via infection by free-living forms. This study examined geographical subdivision of the thiotrophic endosymbionts hosted by Bathymodiolus mussels living along the eastern Pacific hydrothermal vents. High-throughput sequencing data of 16S ribosomal RNA encoding gene and fragments of six protein-coding genes of symbionts were examined in the samples collected from nine vent localities at the East Pacific Rise, Galápagos Rift, and Pacific-Antarctic Ridge.

RESULTS

Both of the parapatric sister-species, B. thermophilus and B. antarcticus, hosted the same numerically dominant phylotype of thiotrophic Gammaproteobacteria. However, sequences from six protein-coding genes revealed highly divergent symbiont lineages living north and south of the Easter Microplate and hosted by these two Bathymodiolus mussel species. High heterogeneity of symbiont haplotypes among host individuals sampled from the same location suggested that stochasticity associated with initial infections was amplified as symbionts proliferated within the host individuals. The mussel species presently contact one another and hybridize along the Easter Microplate, but the northern and southern symbionts appear to be completely isolated. Vicariance associated with orogeny of the Easter Microplate region, 2.5-5.3 million years ago, may have initiated isolation of the symbiont and host populations. Estimates of synonymous substitution rates for the protein-coding bacterial genes examined in this study were 0.77-1.62%/nucleotide/million years.

CONCLUSIONS

Our present study reports the most comprehensive population genetic analyses of the chemosynthetic endosymbiotic bacteria based on high-throughput genetic data and extensive geographical sampling to date, and demonstrates the role of the geographical features, the Easter Microplate and geographical distance, in the intraspecific divergence of this bacterial species along the mid-ocean ridge axes in the eastern Pacific. Altogether, our results provide insights into extrinsic and intrinsic factors affecting the dispersal and evolution of chemosynthetic symbiotic partners in the hydrothermal vents along the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Widespread introgression in deep-sea hydrothermal vent mussels

Background

The analysis of hybrid zones is crucial for gaining a mechanistic understanding of the process of speciation and the maintenance of species boundaries. Hybrid zones have been studied intensively in terrestrial and shallow-water ecosystems, but very little is known about their occurrence in deep-sea environments. Here we used diagnostic, single nucleotide polymorphisms in combination with one mitochondrial gene to re-examine prior hypotheses about a contact zone involving deep-sea hydrothermal vent mussels, Bathymodiolus azoricus and B. puteoserpentis, living along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Results

Admixture was found to be asymmetric with respect to the parental species, while introgression was more widespread geographically than previously recognized. Admixed individuals with a majority of alleles from one of the parental species were most frequent in habitats corresponding to that species. Mussels found at a geographically intermediate vent field constituted a genetically mixed population that showed no evidence for hybrid incompatibilities, a finding that does not support a previously inferred tension zone model.

Conclusions

Our analyses indicate that B. azoricus and B. puteoserpentis hybridize introgressively across a large geographic area without evidence for general hybrid incompatibilities. While these findings shed new light onto the genetic structure of this hybrid zone, many aspects about its nature still remain obscure. Our study sets a baseline for further research that should primarily focus on the acquisition of additional mussel samples and environmental data, a detailed exploration of vent areas and hidden populations as well as genomic analyses in both mussel hosts and their bacterial symbionts.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0862-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the headwater livebearer, Poeciliopsis monacha: the mother of clones

The sexually reproducing fish, Poeciliopsis monacha (Actinopterygii, Cyprinodontiformes, Poeciliidae), is the maternal ancestor of six hybrid biotypes that reproduce clonally. The gene content and order of its 16,818 bp mitochondrial genome is virtually identical with that of other sexually reproducing poeciliid fishes, providing no evidence for a mitochondrial involvement in the origins of all-female reproduction.

Population subdivision of hydrothermal vent polychaete Alvinella pompejana across equatorial and Easter Microplate boundaries

Background

The Equator and Easter Microplate regions of the eastern Pacific Ocean exhibit geomorphological and hydrological features that create barriers to dispersal for a number of animals associated with deep-sea hydrothermal vent habitats. This study examined effects of these boundaries on geographical subdivision of the vent polychaete Alvinella pompejana. DNA sequences from one mitochondrial and eleven nuclear genes were examined in samples collected from ten vent localities that comprise the species’ known range from 23°N latitude on the East Pacific Rise to 38°S latitude on the Pacific Antarctic Ridge.

Results

Multi-locus genotypes inferred from these sequences clustered the individual worms into three metapopulation segments — the northern East Pacific Rise (NEPR), southern East Pacific Rise (SEPR), and northeastern Pacific Antarctic Ridge (PAR) — separated by the Equator and Easter Microplate boundaries. Genetic diversity estimators were negatively correlated with tectonic spreading rates. Application of the isolation-with-migration (IMa2) model provided information about divergence times and demographic parameters. The PAR and NEPR metapopulation segments were estimated to have split roughly 4.20 million years ago (Mya) (2.42–33.42 Mya, 95 % highest posterior density, (HPD)), followed by splitting of the SEPR and NEPR segments about 0.79 Mya (0.07–6.67 Mya, 95 % HPD). Estimates of gene flow between the neighboring regions were mostly low (2 Nm < 1). Estimates of effective population size decreased with southern latitudes: NEPR > SEPR > PAR.

Conclusions

Highly effective dispersal capabilities allow A. pompejana to overcome the temporal instability and intermittent distribution of active hydrothermal vents in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Consequently, the species exhibits very high levels of genetic diversity compared with many co-distributed vent annelids and mollusks. Nonetheless, its levels of genetic diversity in partially isolated populations are inversely correlated with tectonic spreading rates. As for many other vent taxa, this pioneering colonizer is similarly affected by local rates of habitat turnover and by major dispersal filters associated with the Equator and the Easter Microplate region.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0807-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Biophysical and Population Genetic Models Predict the Presence of "Phantom" Stepping Stones Connecting Mid-Atlantic Ridge Vent Ecosystems

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are patchily distributed ecosystems inhabited by specialized animal populations that are textbook meta-populations. Many vent-associated species have free-swimming, dispersive larvae that can establish connections between remote populations. However, connectivity patterns among hydrothermal vents are still poorly understood because the deep sea is undersampled, the molecular tools used to date are of limited resolution, and larval dispersal is difficult to measure directly. A better knowledge of connectivity is urgently needed to develop sound environmental management plans for deep-sea mining. Here, we investigated larval dispersal and contemporary connectivity of ecologically important vent mussels (Bathymodiolus spp.) from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge by using high-resolution ocean modeling and population genetic methods. Even when assuming a long pelagic larval duration, our physical model of larval drift suggested that arrival at localities more than 150 km from the source site is unlikely and that dispersal between populations requires intermediate habitats ("phantom" stepping stones). Dispersal patterns showed strong spatiotemporal variability, making predictions of population connectivity challenging. The assumption that mussel populations are only connected via additional stepping stones was supported by contemporary migration rates based on neutral genetic markers. Analyses of population structure confirmed the presence of two southern and two hybridizing northern mussel lineages that exhibited a substantial, though incomplete, genetic differentiation. Our study provides insights into how vent animals can disperse between widely separated vent habitats and shows that recolonization of perturbed vent sites will be subject to chance events, unless connectivity is explicitly considered in the selection of conservation areas.

New deep-sea species of Xenoturbella and the position of Xenacoelomorpha

The discovery of four new Xenoturbella species from deep waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean is reported here. The genus and two nominal species were described from the west coast of Sweden, but their taxonomic placement remains unstable. Limited evidence placed Xenoturbella with molluscs, but the tissues can be contaminated with prey. They were then considered deuterostomes. Further taxon sampling and analysis have grouped Xenoturbella with acoelomorphs (=Xenacoelomorpha) as sister to all other Bilateria (=Nephrozoa), or placed Xenacoelomorpha inside Deuterostomia with Ambulacraria (Hemichordata + Echinodermata). Here we describe four new species of Xenoturbella and reassess those hypotheses. A large species (>20 cm long) was found at cold-water hydrocarbon seeps at 2,890 m depth in Monterey Canyon and at 1,722 m in the Gulf of California (Mexico). A second large species (~10 cm long) also occurred at 1,722 m in the Gulf of California. The third large species (~15 cm long) was found at ~3,700 m depth near a newly discovered carbonate-hosted hydrothermal vent in the Gulf of California. Finally, a small species (~2.5 cm long), found near a whale carcass at 631 m depth in Monterey Submarine Canyon (California), resembles the two nominal species from Sweden. Analysis of whole mitochondrial genomes places the three larger species as a sister clade to the smaller Atlantic and Pacific species. Phylogenomic analyses of transcriptomic sequences support placement of Xenacoelomorpha as sister to Nephrozoa or Protostomia.

Complete mitochondrial genome of hydrothermal vent clam Calyptogena magnifica

The mitochondrial genome of the hydrothermal vent clam Calyptogena magnifica (Bivalvia, Veneroida, Vesicomyidae) is reported for the first time in this study. The total length of its mitochondrial genome is 19 738 bp with overall GC content of 31.6%. The mitochondrial genome consists of 36 genes, including 13 protein-coding sequences, 2 rRNA and 21 tRNA genes. Two distinct repeat motifs are located between tRNA^Trp and ND6.

Larvae from deep-sea methane seeps disperse in surface waters

Many species endemic to deep-sea methane seeps have broad geographical distributions, suggesting that they produce larvae with at least episodic long-distance dispersal. Cold-seep communities on both sides of the Atlantic share species or species complexes, yet larval dispersal across the Atlantic is expected to take prohibitively long at adult depths. Here, we provide direct evidence that the long-lived larvae of two cold-seep molluscs migrate hundreds of metres above the ocean floor, allowing them to take advantage of faster surface currents that may facilitate long-distance dispersal. We collected larvae of the ubiquitous seep mussel "Bathymodiolus" childressi and an associated gastropod, Bathynerita naticoidea, using remote-control plankton nets towed in the euphotic zone of the Gulf of Mexico. The timing of collections suggested that the larvae might disperse in the water column for more than a year, where they feed and grow to more than triple their original sizes. Ontogenetic vertical migration during a long larval life suggests teleplanic dispersal, a plausible explanation for the amphi-Atlantic distribution of "B." mauritanicus and the broad western Atlantic distribution of B. naticoidea. These are the first empirical data to demonstrate a biological mechanism that might explain the genetic similarities between eastern and western Atlantic seep fauna.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the hydrothermal vent tubeworm, Ridgeia piscesae (Polychaeta, Siboglinidae)

The complete mitochondrial genome of Ridgeia piscesae (Polychaeta, Siboglinidae), one of the dominant taxa in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, is reported here for the first time. The R. piscesae mitogenome is 15,002 bp in total length and includes 13 protein-coding gene sequences, small and large rRNA sequences and 22 tRNA sequences. All genes are encoded on the heavy strand. The mitochondrial genomes of R. piscesae and other six polychaete species have a conserved gene order.

A hybrid zone between Bathymodiolus mussel lineages from eastern Pacific hydrothermal vents

Background

The inhabitants of deep-sea hydrothermal vents occupy ephemeral island-like habitats distributed sporadically along tectonic spreading-centers, back-arc basins, and volcanically active seamounts. The majority of vent taxa undergo a pelagic larval phase, and thus varying degrees of geographical subdivision, ranging from no impedance of dispersal to complete isolation, often exist among taxa that span common geomorphological boundaries. Two lineages of Bathymodiolus mussels segregate on either side of the Easter Microplate, a boundary that separates the East Pacific Rise from spreading centers connected to the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge.

Results

A recent sample from the northwest flank of the Easter Microplate contained an admixture of northern and southern mitochondrial haplotypes and corresponding alleles at five nuclear gene loci. Genotypic frequencies in this sample did not fit random mating expectation. Significant heterozygote deficiencies at nuclear loci and gametic disequilibria between loci suggested that this transitional region might be a ‘Tension Zone’ maintained by immigration of parental types and possibly hybrid unfitness. An analysis of recombination history in the nuclear genes suggests a prolonged history of parapatric contact between the two mussel lineages. We hereby elevate the southern lineage to species status as Bathymodiolus antarcticus n. sp. and restrict the use of Bathymodiolus thermophilus to the northern lineage.

Conclusions

Because B. thermophilus s.s. exhibits no evidence for subdivision or isolation-by-distance across its 4000 km range along the EPR axis and Galápagos Rift, partial isolation of B. antarcticus n. sp. requires explanation. The time needed to produce the observed degree of mitochondrial differentiation is consistent with the age of the Easter Microplate (2.5 to 5.3 million years). The complex geomorphology of the Easter Microplate region forces strong cross-axis currents that might disrupt self-recruitment of mussels by removing planktotrophic larvae from the ridge axis. Furthermore, frequent local extinction events in this tectonically dynamic region might produce a demographic sink rather than a source for dispersing mussel larvae. Historical changes in tectonic rates and current patterns appear to permit intermittent contact and introgression between the two species.

Temporal variation and lack of host specificity among bacterial endosymbionts of Osedax bone worms (Polychaeta: Siboglinidae)

BACKGROUND

Osedax worms use a proliferative root system to extract nutrients from the bones of sunken vertebrate carcasses. The roots contain bacterial endosymbionts that contribute to the nutrition of these mouthless and gutless worms. The worms acquire these essential endosymbionts locally from the environment in which their larvae settle. Here we report on the temporal dynamics of endosymbiont diversity hosted by nine Osedax species sampled during a three-year investigation of an experimental whale fall at 1820-m depth in the Monterey Bay, California. The host species were identified by their unique mitochondrial COI haplotypes. The endosymbionts were identified by ribotyping with PCR primers specifically designed to target Oceanospirillales.

RESULTS

Thirty-two endosymbiont ribotypes associated with these worms clustered into two distinct bacterial ribospecies that together comprise a monophyletic group, mostly restricted to deep waters (>1000 m). Statistical analyses confirmed significant changes in the relative abundances of host species and the two dominant endosymbiont ribospecies during the three-year sampling period. Bone type (whale vs. cow) also had a significant effect on host species, but not on the two dominant symbiont ribospecies. No statistically significant association existed between the host species and endosymbiont ribospecies.

CONCLUSIONS

Standard PCR and direct sequencing proved to be an efficient method for ribotyping the numerically dominant endosymbiont strains infecting a large sample of host individuals; however, this method did not adequately represent the frequency of mixed infections, which appears to be the rule rather than an exception for Osedax individuals. Through cloning and the use of experimental dilution series, we determined that minority ribotypes constituting less than 30% of a mixture would not likely be detected, leading to underestimates of the frequency of multiple infections in host individuals.

The spatial scale of genetic subdivision in populations of Ifremeria nautilei, a hydrothermal-vent gastropod from the southwest Pacific

BACKGROUND

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents provide patchy, ephemeral habitats for specialized communities of animals that depend on chemoautotrophic primary production. Unlike eastern Pacific hydrothermal vents, where population structure has been studied at large (thousands of kilometres) and small (hundreds of meters) spatial scales, population structure of western Pacific vents has received limited attention. This study addresses the scale at which genetic differentiation occurs among populations of a western Pacific vent-restricted gastropod, Ifremeria nautilei.

RESULTS

We used mitochondrial and DNA microsatellite markers to infer patterns of gene flow and population subdivision. A nested sampling strategy was employed to compare genetic diversity in discrete patches of Ifremeria nautilei separated by a few meters within a single vent field to distances as great as several thousand kilometres between back-arc basins that encompass the known range of the species. No genetic subdivisions were detected among patches, mounds, or sites within Manus Basin. Although I. nautilei from Lau and North Fiji Basins (~1000 km apart) also exhibited no evidence for genetic subdivision, these populations were genetically distinct from the Manus Basin population.

CONCLUSIONS

An unknown process that restricts contemporary gene flow isolates the Manus Basin population of Ifremeria nautilei from widespread populations that occupy the North Fiji and Lau Basins. A robust understanding of the genetic structure of hydrothermal vent populations at multiple spatial scales defines natural conservation units and can help minimize loss of genetic diversity in situations where human activities are proposed and managed.

Genetic diversity and demographic instability in Riftia pachyptila tubeworms from eastern Pacific hydrothermal vents

BACKGROUND

Deep-sea hydrothermal vent animals occupy patchy and ephemeral habitats supported by chemosynthetic primary production. Volcanic and tectonic activities controlling the turnover of these habitats contribute to demographic instability that erodes genetic variation within and among colonies of these animals. We examined DNA sequences from one mitochondrial and three nuclear gene loci to assess genetic diversity in the siboglinid tubeworm, Riftia pachyptila, a widely distributed constituent of vents along the East Pacific Rise and Galápagos Rift.

RESULTS

Genetic differentiation (F(ST)) among populations increased with geographical distances, as expected under a linear stepping-stone model of dispersal. Low levels of DNA sequence diversity occurred at all four loci, allowing us to exclude the hypothesis that an idiosyncratic selective sweep eliminated mitochondrial diversity alone. Total gene diversity declined with tectonic spreading rates. The southernmost populations, which are subjected to superfast spreading rates and high probabilities of extinction, are relatively homogenous genetically.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to other vent species, DNA sequence diversity is extremely low in R. pachyptila. Though its dispersal abilities appear to be effective, the low diversity, particularly in southern hemisphere populations, is consistent with frequent local extinction and (re)colonization events.

Not whale-fall specialists, Osedax worms also consume fishbones

Marine annelid worms of the genus Osedax exploit sunken vertebrate bones for food. To date, the named species occur on whale or other mammalian bones, and it is argued that Osedax is a whale-fall specialist. To assess whether extant Osedax species could obtain nutrition from non-mammalian resources, we deployed teleost bones and calcified shark cartilage at approximately 1000 m depth for five months. Although the evidence from shark cartilage was inconclusive, the teleost bones hosted three species of Osedax, each of which also lives off whalebones. This suggests that rather than being a whale-fall specialist, Osedax has exploited and continues to exploit a variety of food sources. The ability of Osedax to colonize and to grow on fishbone lends credibility to a hypothesis that it might have split from its siboglinid relatives to assume the bone-eating lifestyle during the Cretaceous, well before the origin of marine mammals.

Rubyspira, new genus and two new species of bone-eating deep-sea snails with ancient habits

Rubyspira, a new genus of deep-sea snails (Gastropoda: Abyssochrysoidea) with two living species, derives its nutrition from decomposing whalebones. Molecular phylogenetic and morphological evidence places the new genus in an exclusively deep-sea assemblage that includes several close relatives previously known as fossils associated with Cretaceous cold seeps, plesiosaur bones, and Eocene whalebones. The ability to exploit a variety of marine reducing environments may have contributed to the evolutionary longevity of this gastropod lineage.

When gaps really are gaps: statistical phylogeography of hydrothermal vent invertebrates

The invertebrate animals endemic to deep-sea hydrothermal vents are distributed intermittently along relatively linear oceanic ridge axes. A one-dimensional stepping-stone model, therefore, provides a reasonable starting hypothesis of population structure for these species. Nevertheless, population genetic studies of many species from eastern Pacific vents did not detect the expected signatures of isolation-by-distance (IBD). Instead, distinct patterns of geographical subdivision have been attributed to the unique dispersal modes of individual species, topographical discontinuities of the ridge axes, nonequilibrium metapopulation scenarios and cryptic species. Here, we reexamined these inferences in light of expectations generated by computer simulations of a one-dimensional stepping-stone model. We evaluated whether the previously inferred subdivisions are statistically robust to an alternative explanation that continuous stepping-stone migration has occurred along the ridge axes but discontinuities in the sampling design (gaps) have generated the apparent disjunctions. We found that previous inferences about barriers to gene flow (vicariance) were supported in many cases, but that failures to detect evidence for IBD could be explained by low statistical power associated with the sampling effort. The simulation approaches presented here might be useful for testing the significance of inferred phylogeographic gaps in other species.

Directional dispersal between mid-ocean ridges: deep-ocean circulation and gene flow in Ridgeia piscesae

This study examined relationships between bathymetrically induced deep-ocean currents and the dispersal of the hydrothermal vent tubeworm Ridgeia piscesae along the northeast Pacific ridge system. A robust diagnostic model of deep-ocean circulation in this region predicted strong southeasterly currents following contours of the Blanco Transform Fault, a 450-km lateral offset that separates the Gorda and Juan de Fuca ridge systems. Such currents should facilitate the southward dispersal of R. piscesae larvae. Immigration rates for populations north and south of the Blanco Transform Fault were estimated from molecular population genetic data. Mitochondrial DNA evidence revealed population subdivision across the Blanco Transform Fault, and a strong directional bias in gene flow that was consistent with predictions of the circulation model. The distribution of mitochondrial diversity between the northern and southern populations of R. piscesae suggests that the Gorda Ridge tubeworms have maintained larger effective population sizes than the northern populations, a pattern that also exists in co-occurring limpets. Together, these data suggest that the northern vent fields may experience a higher frequency of habitat turnover and consequently more rapid losses of genetic diversity.

Marine worms (genus Osedax) colonize cow bones

Bone-eating worms of the genus Osedax colonized and grew on cow bones deployed at depths ranging from 385 to 2893m in Monterey Bay, California. Colonization occurred as rapidly as two months following deployment of the cow bones, similar to the time it takes to colonize exposed whalebones. Some Osedax females found on the cow bones were producing eggs and some hosted dwarf males in their tubes. Morphological and molecular examinations of these worms confirmed the presence of six Osedax species, out of the eight species presently known from Monterey Bay. The ability of Osedax species to colonize, grow and reproduce on cow bones challenges previous notions that these worms are 'whale-fall specialists.'

Acquisition of dwarf male "harems" by recently settled females of Osedax roseus n. sp. (Siboglinidae; Annelida)

After the deployment of several whale carcasses in Monterey Bay, California, a time-series analysis revealed the presence of a new species of Osedax, a genus of bone-eating siboglinid annelids. That species is described here as Osedax roseus n. sp. It is the fifth species described since the erection of this genus and, like its congeners, uses a ramifying network of "roots" to house symbiotic bacteria. In less than 2 months, Osedax roseus n. sp. colonized the exposed bones of a whale carcass deposited at 1018-m depth, and many of the females were fecund in about 3 months post-deployment. As with other Osedax spp., the females have dwarf males in their tube lumens. The males accrue over time until the sex ratio is markedly male-biased. This pattern of initial female settlement followed by gradual male accumulation is consistent with the hypothesis that male sex may be environmentally determined in Osedax. Of the previously described species in this genus, Osedax roseus n. sp. is most similar to O. rubiplumus, but it has several anatomical differences, as well as much smaller females, dwarf males, and eggs. Osedax roseus n. sp. is markedly divergent (minimally 16.6%) for mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) sequences from any other Osedax species.

Genetic diversity and potential function of microbial symbionts associated with newly discovered species of Osedax polychaete worms

We investigated the genetic diversity of symbiotic bacteria associated with two newly discovered species of Osedax from Monterey Canyon, CA, at 1,017-m (Osedax Monterey Bay sp. 3 "rosy" [Osedax sp. MB3]) and 381-m (Osedax Monterey Bay sp. 4 "yellow collar") depths. Quantitative PCR and clone libraries of 16S rRNA gene sequences identified differences in the compositions and abundances of bacterial phylotypes associated with the newly discovered host species and permitted comparisons between adult Osedax frankpressi and juveniles that had recently colonized whalebones implanted at 2,891 m. The newly discovered Osedax species hosted Oceanospirillales symbionts that are related to Gammaproteobacteria associated with the previously described O. frankpressi and Osedax rubiplumus (S. K. Goffredi, V. J. Orphan, G. W. Rouse, L. Jahnke, T. Embaye, K. Turk, R. Lee, and R. C. Vrijenhoek, Environ. Microbiol. 7:1369-1378, 2005). In addition, Osedax sp. MB3 hosts a diverse and abundant population of additional bacteria dominated by Epsilonproteobacteria. Ultrastructural analysis of symbiont-bearing root tissues verified the enhanced microbial diversity of Osedax sp. MB3. Root tissues from the newly described host species and O. frankpressi all exhibited collagenolytic enzyme activity, which covaried positively with the abundance of symbiont DNA and negatively with mean adult size of the host species. Members of this unusual genus of bone-eating worms may form variable associations with symbiotic bacteria that allow for the observed differences in colonization and success in whale fall environments throughout the world's oceans.

Polyploid Hybrids: Multiple Origins of a Treefrog Species

Hyla versicolor, a tetraploid treefrog, is reported to have originated via multiple hybridization events involving three diploid ancestors. Its complex reticulate history provides insights into the roles that polyploidy and hybridization can play in the origin of species.

Migration, isolation, and speciation of hydrothermal vent limpets (Gastropoda; Lepetodrilidae) across the Blanco Transform Fault

The Sovanco Fracture Zone and Blanco Transform Fault separate the Explorer, Juan de Fuca, and Gorda ridge systems of the northeastern Pacific Ocean. To test whether such offsets in the ridge axis create barriers to along-axis dispersal of the endemic hydrothermal vent animals, we examined the genetic structure of limpet populations previously identified as Lepetodrilus fucensis McLean, 1988 (Gastropoda, Lepetodrilidae). Mitochondrial DNA sequences and patterns of allozyme variation revealed no evidence that the 150-km-long Sovanco Fracture Zone impeded gene flow between the Explorer and Juan de Fuca populations. In contrast, the 450-km-long Blanco Transform Fault separates the limpets into highly divergent northern and southern lineages that we recognize as distinct species. We describe southern populations from the Gorda Ridge (Seacliff) and Escanaba Trough as Lepetodrilus gordensis new species and refer northern populations from the Explorer and Juan de Fuca ridge systems to L. fucensis sensu stricto. The species are similar morphologically, but L. gordensis lacks a sensory neck papilla and has a more tightly coiled teleconch. To assess the degree of isolation between these closely related species, we used the Isolation with Migration method to estimate the time of population splitting, effective sizes of the ancestral and derived populations, and rates of migration across the Blanco Transform Fault.

Molecular detection of marine invertebrate larvae

The ecological patterns of many invertebrate larvae remain an ongoing mystery, in large part owing to the difficult task of detecting them in the water column. The development of nucleic-acid-based technology has the potential to resolve this issue by direct identification and monitoring of embryonic and larval forms in situ. We report herein on the successful development and application of nucleic-acid-based sandwich hybridization assays that detect barnacles using rRNA-targeted probes with both group-(order Thoracica) and species-(Balanus glandula) specificity. Primary results include the determination of target 18S rRNA sequences and the construction of "capture" probes for detection of larvae using hybridization techniques. In addition, we modified existing protocols for whole cell hybridization of invertebrate larvae as confirmation of the sandwich hybridization results. We used both hybridization techniques successfully in the laboratory on a plankton time series collected over 3 months, as well as a week-long in situ deployment of the technique in Monterey Bay, CA. The adaptability of this technology promises to be further applicable to various organisms and could be used to enhance our understanding of larval presence in the world's oceans.

Evolutionary innovation: a bone-eating marine symbiosis

Symbiotic associations between microbes and invertebrates have resulted in some of the most unusual physiological and morphological adaptations that have evolved in the animal world. We document a new symbiosis between marine polychaetes of the genus Osedax and members of the bacterial group Oceanospirillales, known for heterotrophic degradation of complex organic compounds. These organisms were discovered living on the carcass of a grey whale at 2891 m depth in Monterey Canyon, off the coast of California. The mouthless and gutless worms are unique in their morphological specializations used to obtain nutrition from decomposing mammalian bones. Adult worms possess elaborate posterior root-like extensions that invade whale bone and contain bacteriocytes that house intracellular symbionts. Stable isotopes and fatty acid analyses suggest that these unusual endosymbionts are likely responsible for the nutrition of this locally abundant and reproductively prolific deep-sea worm.

Independent origins of allotriploidy in the fish genus Poeciliopsis

We examined mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences and allozymes to assess possible modes of origin, clonal diversity, and evolutionary age in a triploid all-female fish of the genus Poeciliopsis from the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. Analysis of multilocus allozymes revealed that the Rio Mocorito biotype (Poeciliopsis monacha-lucida-viriosa) is trihybrid, carrying haploid genomes from three sexually reproducing species, Poeciliopsis monacha, Poeciliopsis lucida, and Poeciliopsis viriosa. Composite allozyme and mtDNA genotypes identified four clones, all bearing closely related mitochondrial haplotypes originally derived from P. monacha. Apparently these trihybrids arose endemically by addition of a haploid genome from P. viriosa, a local sexual species, to an allodiploid biotype, P. monacha-lucida, also found in the Rio Mocorito. The present analysis clearly revealed that P. monacha-lucida-viriosa arose independently of the two allotriploid biotypes that live in a river to the north (Rio Fuerte). Although the origins of allotriploidy in Poeciliopsis are less constrained phylogenetically and geographically than previously thought, known triploid biotypes all had relatively recent origins, which supports the notion that most asexual lineages are evolutionarily short-lived.