Phenetic and Genetic Variability of Continental and Island Populations of the Freshwater Copepod Mastigodiaptomus ha Cervantes, 2020 (Copepoda): A Case of Dispersal?

Abstract

The diversity of freshwater zooplankton is still little known in Mexico, particularly in reference to insular zooplankton communities. Diaptomid copepods (Crustacea: Copepoda: Calanoida) are a widespread group worldwide, and Mexico harbours high diaptomid diversity. Based on a recent sampling of freshwater zooplankton on a Caribbean Island of Mexico, we present the first record of a diaptomid copepod from an island freshwater ecosystem. It shows the well-known tendency of Neotropical diaptomids to have restricted distributional patterns and high levels of endemism. The species recorded, Mastigodiaptomus ha (Cervantes-Martínez, 2020) appears to have a restricted distribution in the Yucatan Peninsula (YP), and the island as well. In order to explore potential differences between the island and continental populations of this species, its phenetic and genetic diversity was analysed by performing morphological comparisons and also by exploring differences of the habitat conditions and genetic sequences (CO1 gene). Our analysis revealed a low (average = 0.33%) genetic divergence between both populations; likewise, both the morphology and habitat conditions closely resemble each other in these two populations. The low genetic divergence between the continental and island populations of M. ha suggests an early common origin of the species in the geological history of the YP.