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Background  Scleractinian corals and their algal endosymbionts (genus  Symbiodinium ) exhibit distinct bathymetric distributions on coral reefs. Yet, few studies have assessed the evolutionary context of these ecological distributions by exploring the genetic diversity of closely related coral species and their associated  Symbiodinium  over large depth ranges. Here we assess the distribution and genetic diversity of five agariciid coral species ( Agaricia humilis ,  A .  agaricites ,  A .  lamarcki ,  A .  grahamae , and  Helioseris cucullata ) and their algal endosymbionts ( Symbiodinium ) across a large depth gradient (2-60 m) covering shallow to mesophotic depths on a Caribbean reef.    Results  The five agariciid species exhibited distinct depth distributions, and dominant  Symbiodinium  associations were found to be species-specific, with each of the agariciid species harbouring a distinct ITS2-DGGE profile (except for a shared profile between  A .  lamarcki  and  A .  grahamae ). Only  A .  lamarcki  harboured different  Symbiodinium  types across its depth distribution (i.e. exhibited symbiont zonation). Phylogenetic analysis ( atp6 ) of the coral hosts demonstrated a division of the  Agaricia  genus into two major lineages that correspond to their bathymetric distribution (“shallow”:  A .  humilis  /  A .  agaricites  and “deep”:  A .  lamarcki  /  A .  grahamae ), highlighting the role of depth-related factors in the diversification of these congeneric agariciid species. The divergence between “shallow” and “deep” host species was reflected in the relatedness of the associated  Symbiodinium  (with  A .  lamarcki  and  A .  grahamae  sharing an identical  Symbiodinium  profile, and  A .  humilis  and  A .  agaricites  harbouring a related ITS2 sequence in their  Symbiodinium  profiles), corroborating the notion that brooding corals and their  Symbiodinium  are engaged in coevolutionary processes.    Conclusions  Our findings support the hypothesis that the depth-related environmental gradient on reefs has played an important role in the diversification of the genus  Agaricia  and their associated  Symbiodinium , resulting in a genetic segregation between coral host-symbiont communities at shallow and mesophotic depths.

bmc evolutionary biology

Sharing the slope: depth partitioning of agariciid corals and associated Symbiodinium across shallow and mesophotic habitats (2-60 m) on a Caribbean reef