Phylogeography of recent Plesiastrea (Scleractinia: Plesiastreidae) based on an integrated taxonomic approach

David J Juszkiewicz; Nicole E White; Jarosław Stolarski; Francesca Benzoni; Roberto Arrigoni; Bert W Hoeksema; Nerida G Wilson; Michael Bunce; Zoe T Richards

doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107469

Phylogeography of recent Plesiastrea (Scleractinia: Plesiastreidae) based on an integrated taxonomic approach

Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2022 Jul:172:107469. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107469. Epub 2022 Mar 26.

Authors

David J Juszkiewicz¹, Nicole E White², Jarosław Stolarski³, Francesca Benzoni⁴, Roberto Arrigoni⁵, Bert W Hoeksema⁶, Nerida G Wilson⁷, Michael Bunce⁸, Zoe T Richards⁹

Affiliations

¹ Coral Conservation and Research Group (CORE), Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory (TrEnD), School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia. Electronic address: david.juszkiewicz@postgrad.curtin.edu.au.
² Coral Conservation and Research Group (CORE), Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory (TrEnD), School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia.
³ Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, PL-00-818 Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/stolacy.
⁴ Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/benzonifran.
⁵ Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy.
⁶ Taxonomy, Systematics, and Geodiversity Group, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands; Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, the Netherlands.
⁷ Collections & Research, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, Western Australia 6106, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/neridawilson.
⁸ Coral Conservation and Research Group (CORE), Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory (TrEnD), School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia; Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), 34 Kenepuru Drive, Porirua 5022, New Zealand. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/buncedna.
⁹ Coral Conservation and Research Group (CORE), Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory (TrEnD), School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia; Collections & Research, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, Western Australia 6106, Australia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/zoer_coral.

PMID: 35351634
DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107469

Abstract

Scleractinian corals are a diverse group of ecologically important yet highly threatened marine invertebrates, which can be challenging to identify to the species level. An influx of molecular studies has transformed scleractinian systematics, highlighting that cryptic species may be more common than previously understood. In this study, we test the hypothesis that Plesiastrea versipora (Lamarck, 1816), a species currently considered to occur throughout the Indo-Pacific in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate waters, is a single species. Molecular and morphological analyses were conducted on 80 samples collected from 31 sites spanning the majority of the species putative range and twelve mitogenomes were assembled to identify informative regions for phylogenetic reconstruction. Congruent genetic data across three gene regions supports the existence of two monophyletic clades aligning with distinct tropical and temperate provenances. Multivariate macromorphological analyses based on 13 corallite characters provided additional support for the phylogeographic split, with the number of septa and corallite density varying across this biogeographic divide. Furthermore, micromorphological and microstructural analyses identified that the temperate representatives typically develop sub-cerioid corallites with sparse or absent coenosteal features and smooth septal faces. In contrast, tropical representatives typically develop plocoid corallites separated by a porous dissepimental coenosteum and have granulated septal faces. These data suggest that at least two species exist within the genus PlesiastreaMilne Edwards & Haime, 1848. Based on examination of type material, we retain the name Plesiastrea versipora (Lamarck, 1816) for the temperate representatives of the genus and resurrect the name Plesiastrea peroniMilne Edwards & Haime, 1857 for the tropical members. This study highlights how broadly distributed hard coral taxa still need careful re-examination through an integrated systematics approach to better understand their phylogeographic patterns. Furthermore, it demonstrates the utility of integrating micro-, macro-morphological and genetic datasets, and the importance of type specimens when dealing with taxonomic revisions of scleractinian taxa.

Keywords: Biogeography; Cryptic species; Microstructure; Phylogenetics; Plesiastrea versipora; Systematics.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Anthozoa*
Phylogeny
Phylogeography