Premium
Toward an inordinate fondness for stars, beetles and Lobophora ? Species diversity of the genus Lobophora (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) in New Caledonia
Author(s) -
Vieira Christophe,
D'hondt Sofie,
De Clerck Olivier,
Payri Claude E
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/jpy.12243
Subject(s) - biology , coalescent theory , genus , taxonomy (biology) , dna barcoding , ecology , zoology , phylogenetics , gene , biochemistry
Until the recent use of molecular markers, species diversity of L obophora , an ecologically important brown algal genus with a worldwide distribution in temperate and tropical seas, has been critically underestimated. Using a DNA ‐based taxonomic approach, we re‐examined diversity of the genus from N ew C aledonia in the S outhwest P acific O cean. First, species were delineated using general mixed Yule coalescent‐based and barcoding gap approaches applied to a mitochondrial cox 3 data set. Results were subsequently confirmed using chloroplast psb A and rbc L data sets. Species delimitation analyses agreed well across markers and delimitation algorithms, with the barcoding gap approach being slightly more conservative. Analyses of the cox 3 data set resulted in 31–39 molecular operational taxonomic units ( MOTU s), four of which are previously described species ( L . asiatica , L . crassa , L . nigrescens s.l., L . pachyventera ). Of the remaining MOTU s for which we obtained a representative number of sequences and results are corroborated across analyses and genes, we described 10 species de novo: L . abaculusa , L . abscondita , L . densa , L . dimorpha , L . gibbera , L . hederacea , L . monticola , L . petila , L . rosacea , and L . undulata . Our study presents an excellent case of how a traditional morphology‐based taxonomy fails to provide accurate estimates of algal diversity. Furthermore, the level of L obophora diversity unveiled from a single locality in the P acific O cean raises important questions with respect to the global diversity of the genus, the distributions and range sizes of the individual species, as well as the mechanisms facilitating coexistence.