Morphological and molecular evidence of cryptic speciation in sympatric colour morphotypes of Mycale (Carmia) cecilia (Porifera: Poecilosclerida) from the Mexican Pacific

Identifying cryptic species is pivotal for understanding marine biodiversity and optimizing strategies for its conservation. A robust understanding of poriferan diversity is a complex endeavour. It has also been extremely hampered by the high phenotypic plasticity and the limited number of diagnost...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ana Castillo-Páez, Raúl Llera-Herrera, José Antonio Cruz-Barraza
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 2024-03-01
Series:Scientia Marina
Subjects:
Online Access:https://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/5525
_version_ 1827307685516673024
author Ana Castillo-Páez
Raúl Llera-Herrera
José Antonio Cruz-Barraza
author_facet Ana Castillo-Páez
Raúl Llera-Herrera
José Antonio Cruz-Barraza
author_sort Ana Castillo-Páez
collection DOAJ
description Identifying cryptic species is pivotal for understanding marine biodiversity and optimizing strategies for its conservation. A robust understanding of poriferan diversity is a complex endeavour. It has also been extremely hampered by the high phenotypic plasticity and the limited number of diagnostic characters. Mycale (Carmia) cecilia has different body colours, even among individuals living together. We tested whether the colour variation could be due to polymorphism, phenotypic plasticity or cryptic speciation. Phylogenetic reconstructions of nuclear and mitochondrial loci were congruent. Individuals of different body colour did not cluster together and had high levels of genetic divergence. Furthermore, the green morphotype clustered in almost all reconstructions with Mycale (C.) phyllophila, as both showed higher gene similarity at the transcriptomic level (public transcriptome). Morphologically, the green individuals consistently showed discrepancies from the red ones. These results suggest that all individuals with the same body colour, either red or green, correspond to the same species, while individuals with different body colours probably belong to different species. These results reveal high levels of morphologic and genetic diversity, which could have important implications for what is known as M. (C.) cecilia and the Mycalidae systematics.
first_indexed 2024-04-24T18:43:46Z
format Article
id doaj.art-0c6044983e4f48aaa86b95f169cffce6
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 0214-8358
1886-8134
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-24T18:43:46Z
publishDate 2024-03-01
publisher Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
record_format Article
series Scientia Marina
spelling doaj.art-0c6044983e4f48aaa86b95f169cffce62024-03-27T07:27:07ZengConsejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasScientia Marina0214-83581886-81342024-03-0188110.3989/scimar.05339.082Morphological and molecular evidence of cryptic speciation in sympatric colour morphotypes of Mycale (Carmia) cecilia (Porifera: Poecilosclerida) from the Mexican PacificAna Castillo-Páez0Raúl Llera-Herrera1José Antonio Cruz-Barraza2Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology, Mazatlán Academic Unit, National Autonomous University of MexicoInstitute of Marine Sciences and Limnology, Mazatlán Academic Unit, National Autonomous University of MexicoInstitute of Marine Sciences and Limnology, Mazatlán Academic Unit, National Autonomous University of Mexico Identifying cryptic species is pivotal for understanding marine biodiversity and optimizing strategies for its conservation. A robust understanding of poriferan diversity is a complex endeavour. It has also been extremely hampered by the high phenotypic plasticity and the limited number of diagnostic characters. Mycale (Carmia) cecilia has different body colours, even among individuals living together. We tested whether the colour variation could be due to polymorphism, phenotypic plasticity or cryptic speciation. Phylogenetic reconstructions of nuclear and mitochondrial loci were congruent. Individuals of different body colour did not cluster together and had high levels of genetic divergence. Furthermore, the green morphotype clustered in almost all reconstructions with Mycale (C.) phyllophila, as both showed higher gene similarity at the transcriptomic level (public transcriptome). Morphologically, the green individuals consistently showed discrepancies from the red ones. These results suggest that all individuals with the same body colour, either red or green, correspond to the same species, while individuals with different body colours probably belong to different species. These results reveal high levels of morphologic and genetic diversity, which could have important implications for what is known as M. (C.) cecilia and the Mycalidae systematics. https://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/5525Poriferaanisochelae categoriescryptic speciesCOI, 28S rRNAITS1colour morphotype
spellingShingle Ana Castillo-Páez
Raúl Llera-Herrera
José Antonio Cruz-Barraza
Morphological and molecular evidence of cryptic speciation in sympatric colour morphotypes of Mycale (Carmia) cecilia (Porifera: Poecilosclerida) from the Mexican Pacific
Scientia Marina
Porifera
anisochelae categories
cryptic species
COI, 28S rRNA
ITS1
colour morphotype
title Morphological and molecular evidence of cryptic speciation in sympatric colour morphotypes of Mycale (Carmia) cecilia (Porifera: Poecilosclerida) from the Mexican Pacific
title_full Morphological and molecular evidence of cryptic speciation in sympatric colour morphotypes of Mycale (Carmia) cecilia (Porifera: Poecilosclerida) from the Mexican Pacific
title_fullStr Morphological and molecular evidence of cryptic speciation in sympatric colour morphotypes of Mycale (Carmia) cecilia (Porifera: Poecilosclerida) from the Mexican Pacific
title_full_unstemmed Morphological and molecular evidence of cryptic speciation in sympatric colour morphotypes of Mycale (Carmia) cecilia (Porifera: Poecilosclerida) from the Mexican Pacific
title_short Morphological and molecular evidence of cryptic speciation in sympatric colour morphotypes of Mycale (Carmia) cecilia (Porifera: Poecilosclerida) from the Mexican Pacific
title_sort morphological and molecular evidence of cryptic speciation in sympatric colour morphotypes of mycale carmia cecilia porifera poecilosclerida from the mexican pacific
topic Porifera
anisochelae categories
cryptic species
COI, 28S rRNA
ITS1
colour morphotype
url https://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/5525
work_keys_str_mv AT anacastillopaez morphologicalandmolecularevidenceofcrypticspeciationinsympatriccolourmorphotypesofmycalecarmiaceciliaporiferapoeciloscleridafromthemexicanpacific
AT raullleraherrera morphologicalandmolecularevidenceofcrypticspeciationinsympatriccolourmorphotypesofmycalecarmiaceciliaporiferapoeciloscleridafromthemexicanpacific
AT joseantoniocruzbarraza morphologicalandmolecularevidenceofcrypticspeciationinsympatriccolourmorphotypesofmycalecarmiaceciliaporiferapoeciloscleridafromthemexicanpacific