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New insights into the symbiosis between Z anclea ( C nidaria, H ydrozoa) and scleractinians
Author(s) -
Montano Simone,
Arrigoni Roberto,
Pica Daniela,
Maggioni Davide,
Puce Stefania
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
zoologica scripta
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.204
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1463-6409
pISSN - 0300-3256
DOI - 10.1111/zsc.12081
Subject(s) - biology , symbiodinium , monophyly , symbiosis , hydroid (botany) , coral , cnidaria , phylogenetic tree , ecology , zoology , botany , clade , bacteria , gene , genetics
Hydroids in the genus Z anclea are a recently discovered component of the fauna associated with reef‐building corals. The phylogenetic relationships among these species are not well known. The present work is based on field surveys in the R epublic of M aldives, and for the first time, morphological and molecular analyses are integrated to distinguish a new hydroid species and provide new information on the ecology of this symbiosis. This new hydroid, Z anclea gallii sp. n., was associated with the scleractinian A cropora muricata ; it was living sympatrically with its congener Z anclea sango , which was observed for the first time at this locality on the new scleractinian host P avona varians . The relationships between these two hydroids and other available scleractinian‐associated Z anclea were investigated using two molecular markers, nuclear 28 S r DNA and mitochondrial 16 S r RNA . Zanclea gallii sp. n. and Z . sango were recovered as distinct lineages within a monophyletic group of scleractinian‐associated Z anclea based on both molecular and morphological data. All Z anclea species that were observed living in association with scleractinians belong to the ‘ polymorpha group’ and share the morphological characteristic ‘polymorphic colony’. The genus Leptoseris is the 16th host coral identified for Z anclea . Compared with the frequency of the Z . gallii sp. n. association with A . muricata and Z . sango with the scleractinian P . varians, the latter is twice as common; however, the former exhibited higher Z anclea polyps concentrations over the colony surface. Overall, the Z anclea survey indicates that these diminutive hydroids are more commonly associated with coral than previously known.