A new species of Ovabunda (Octocorallia, Xeniidae) from the Andaman Sea, Thailand with notes on the biogeography of this genus

Janes, Michael; McFadden, Catherine S.; Chanmethakul, Thanongsak

doi:10.3897/zookeys.431.7751

Cited by 11 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Ovabunda spp. have been recorded in the Red Sea and western Indian Ocean (Benayahu, 2002;Halász et al, 2014;McFadden et al, 2017), with one additional record from the Andaman Sea (Janes et al, 2014). R. f. fulvum has a rather wide distribution in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Indonesia, Ryukyu Archipelago, and Taiwan (e.g., Benayahu, 2002;Benayahu et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Octocoral Sexual Reproduction: Temporal Disparity Between Mesophotic and Shallow-Reef Populations

et al. 2018

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Mesophotic coral-reef ecosystems (MCEs) are light-dependent communities occurring at 30 to ∼150 m depth in the clear waters of tropical and subtropical regions. The extent to which MCEs and shallow benthic populations are connected, and whether coral sexual reproduction is maintained under the mesophotic environmental conditions, are still unclear. Despite the trend of increasing studies concerning the MCEs, the reproductive traits of MCE Indo-Pacific octocorals have remained uninvestigated to date. The current study engages with two common zooxanthellate octocorals in the northern Red Sea: the internal-brooder Ovabunda spp. and the surface-brooder Rhytisma fulvum fulvum. It addresses the hypothesis that, similar to their shallowzone conspecifics, the upper mesophotic populations also reproduce sexually. We analyze the reproductive traits of tropical, upper mesophotic octocoral populations and compare them for the first time to the traits of their conspecifics on shallow reefs. In addition, we discuss the timing of surface-brooding events in relation to lunar phase and daily seawater temperature. The populations of Ovabunda spp. in the upper MCE and shallow-water display several similar reproductive traits (e.g., maximal gonad diameter and fecundity). Consequently, this species seems to be a successful depthgeneralist. In contrast, the reproductive features of R. f. fulvum differ between the reefs in the upper MCE and in those shallow-water, with a decreased abundance of female colonies, lower fecundity, and a lower percentage of colonies exhibiting surfacebrooding in the former. It thus seems that the R. f. fulvum population encounters certain constraints in the MCE that may, in turn, lead to its reduced reproductive performance there. In addition, surface-brooding events for R. f. fulvum in the uppermesophotic zone and in shallow-water were separated by two weeks. Since a distinctive seawater temperature rise preceded each surface-brooding event, temperature regimes at different depths may present extrinsic cues that influence the timing of reproduction. The findings from this study contribute to our understanding of the life-history of mesophotic benthic inhabitants in general and of octocorals in particular. Overall, the current findings reinforce the viewpoint that the refuge potential of MCEs may be reflective of species-specific reproductive traits.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Octocoral Sexual Reproduction: Temporal Disparity Between Mesophotic and Shallow-Reef Populations

et al. 2018

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“…A recent taxonomic revision based on morphological examination of the original type material identified 11 nominal species, all with type localities in the Red Sea; eight of these species are known exclusively from the Red Sea, while three have also been recorded in the western Indian Ocean (Madagascar and the Seychelles) (Halàsz et al 2013). A twelfth species was recently described from Thailand (Janes et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species boundaries in the absence of morphological, ecological or geographical differentiation in the Red Sea octocoral genus Ovabunda (Alcyonacea: Xeniidae)

McFadden

Haverkort-Yeh

Reynolds

et al. 2017

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution

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The development of coalescent-based and other multilocus methods for species delimitation has facilitated the identification of cryptic species complexes across the tree of life. A recent taxonomic revision of the ecologically important soft coral genus Ovabunda validated 11morphospecies, all with type localities and overlapping geographic ranges in the Red Sea. A subsequent molecular phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial and 28S nrDNA genes divided the genus into just two clades, with no apparent genetic distinctions among morphospecies. To further explore species boundaries among morphospecies of Ovabunda we sequenced three additional nuclear genes (ITS, ATPSα, ATPSβ), and obtained data for 1332 unlinked SNPs from restriction-site associated DNA sequencing. Both coalescent-based and allele-sharing species delimitation analyses supported four species of Ovabunda, each of which included multiple morphotypes encompassing the full range of morphological variation observed within the genus. All four species occurred over the same depth range of 5-41m, and were sympatric at sites separated by 1100km in the Red Sea. The only characters that have been found to distinguish three of the four species are diagnostic substitutions in the nuclear genome; the fourth differs by exhibiting polyp pulsation, a behavioral trait that can be assessed only in live colonies. The lack of any obvious morphological, life history, ecological or geographical differences among these four species begs the question of what drove the evolution and maintenance of reproductive isolating mechanisms in this cryptic species complex.

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“…This observation has been verified by previous studies (Janes and Mary, 2012;Stemmer et al, 2012;Haverkort-Yeh, 2013;Janes et al, 2014;Mcfadden et al, 2014;Benayahu et al, 2018).…”

Section: Molecular Phylogenetic Identificationssupporting

confidence: 89%

The marine aquarium trade in South Africa: a vector for alien invasive species?

Wehr

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Biological invasions are increasingly recognized as a primary threat to biodiversity. Global transport and trade play an important role in the movement of alien species around the world, and as transport and trade have intensified over the decades, so too has the number of alien species introductions. As preventing the introduction of harmful species is a more cost-effective and efficient method to managing biological invasions, it is imperative that scientific studies are aimed at identifying the pathways responsible for introductions. The marine aquarium trade is an ever-growing business globally and only up until recently has been identified as a major pathway for the introduction of alien species. Except for the notorious cases of the invasive lionfish, Pterois volitans, and seaweed, Caulerpa taxifolia, the role of the aquarium trade towards the introduction of alien marine organisms has been largely unevaluated. With popularity rising for the marine aquarium hobby in South Africa, it is of concern that the trade remains predominantly unregulated. This study aims to investigate the risk posed by the marine aquarium trade as a pathway for the introduction of alien invasive species in South Africa. One such vector examined in this study is live rock: any type of rock or dead coral skeleton encrusted with, and containing within its crevices, a wide variety of marine organisms, including colourful sessile invertebrates and encrusting algae. A combination of morphological and DNA barcoding molecular identifications, based on the phylogenetic inference of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) sequence data, was used to assign identifications to 174 taxa harvested from imported Indonesian and Kenyan live rock. Of the 6 diverse phyla identified, one alien species was flagged as harmful due to its successful invasion of other ecosystems in the world: the glass sea anemone Aiptasia pulchella. Non-target DNA amplification of live rock associated taxa exposed the coral pathogenic bacteria Vibrio spp., further suggesting that the marine aquarium trade is also a pathway for the introduction of pathogens. A second component of the study involved the assessment, via formal survey, of the role that pet stores and hobbyists play in the introduction and transmission of marine organisms around South Africa. Irresponsible aquarium pest disposal methods and informal trading pathways were revealed highlighting the need for an education intervention to promote responsible aquarium ownership skills. The third part of the study entailed a national stock inventory of marine aquarium traded fish and revealed that the number of species traded is vast (n = 228) and that 60 % are alien to South African waters. Although the strength of this vector was not defined, this study confirms that the marine aquarium trade is a pathway for the iii introduction of alien and potentially invasive organisms and serves as the foundation for future research into marine aquarium trade vectors in Sou...

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A new species of Ovabunda (Octocorallia, Xeniidae) from the Andaman Sea, Thailand with notes on the biogeography of this genus

Cited by 11 publications

References 18 publications

Octocoral Sexual Reproduction: Temporal Disparity Between Mesophotic and Shallow-Reef Populations

Octocoral Sexual Reproduction: Temporal Disparity Between Mesophotic and Shallow-Reef Populations

Species boundaries in the absence of morphological, ecological or geographical differentiation in the Red Sea octocoral genus Ovabunda (Alcyonacea: Xeniidae)

The marine aquarium trade in South Africa: a vector for alien invasive species?

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