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When forms meet genes: revision of the scleractinian genera Micromussa and Homophyllia (Lobophylliidae) with a description of two new species and one new genus

In: Contributions to Zoology
Authors:
Roberto Arrigoni Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal 23955-6900 Saudi Arabia
Department of Biotechnologies and Biosciences University of Milano – Bicocca Piazza della Scienza 2 20126 Milan Italy

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Francesca Benzoni Department of Biotechnologies and Biosciences University of Milano – Bicocca Piazza della Scienza 2 20126 Milan Italy
UMR ENTROPIE (IRD, Université de La Réunion, CNRS), Laboratoire d’excellence-CORAIL, centre IRD de Nouméa, New Caledonia 101 Promenade Roger Laroque BP A5, 98848 Noumea Cedex New Caledonia
E-mail: francesca.benzoni@unimib.it

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Danwei Huang Department of Biological Sciences and Tropical Marine Science Institute National University of Singapore Singapore 117543 Singapore
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Iowa Iowa City IA 52242 USA

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Hironobu Fukami Faculty of Agriculture University of Miyazaki 1-1 Gakuenkibanadai-Nishi Miyazaki 889-2192 Japan

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Chaolun Allen Chen Biodiversity Research Centre Academia Sinica Nangang Taipei 115 Taiwan
Institute of Oceanography National Taiwan University Taipei 106 Taiwan

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Michael L. Berumen Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal 23955-6900 Saudi Arabia

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Mia Hoogenboom College of Marine and Environmental Science and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville QLD 4811 Australia

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Damian P. Thomson CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Floreat WA 6014 Australia

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Bert W. Hoeksema Naturalis Biodiversity Center PO Box 9517 2300 RA Leiden The Netherlands

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Ann F. Budd Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Iowa Iowa City IA 52242 USA

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Yuna Zayasu Marine Genomics Unit Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University 1919-1 Tancha Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495 Japan

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Tullia I. Terraneo Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal 23955-6900 Saudi Arabia

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Yuko F. Kitano Organization for Promotion of Tenure Track University of Miyazaki 1-1 Gakuenkibanadai-Nishi Miyazaki 889-2192 Japan

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Andrew H. Baird ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville QLD 4811 Australia

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Online Publication Date:
30 Sep 2016
Open Access

The scleractinian family Lobophylliidae is undergoing a major taxonomic revision thanks to the combination of molecular and morphological data. In this study, we investigate the evolutionary relationships and the macro- and micromorphology of six nominal coral species belonging to two of the nine molecular clades of the Lobophylliidae, clades A and B, and of Symphyllia wilsoni, a lobophylliid species analyzed from a molecular point of view for the first time. Sequence data from mitochondrial DNA (COI and the intergenic spacer between COI and l-rRNA), and nuclear DNA (histone H3 and ITS region) are used to generate robust molecular phylogenies and a median-joining haplotype network. Molecular results are strongly in agreement with detailed observations of gross- and fine-scale morphology of skeletons, leading to the formal revision of the genera Micromussa and Homophyllia and the description of two newly discovered zooxanthellate shallow-water species, Micromussa pacifica sp. nov. Benzoni & Arrigoni and Micromussa indiana sp. nov. Benzoni & Arrigoni, and a new genus, Australophyllia gen. nov. Benzoni & Arrigoni. In particular, Acanthastrea lordhowensis and Montastraea multipunctata are moved into Micromussa, A. hillae is synonymized with A. bowerbanki and is transferred to Homophyllia, and a revised diagnosis for both genera is provided. Micromussa pacifica sp. nov. is described from the Gambier Islands with its distribution spanning New Caledonia and eastern Australia. Despite a superficial resemblance with Homophyllia australis, it has distinctive macroand micromorphological septal features. Micromussa indiana sp. nov., previously identified as M. amakusensis, is here described from the Gulf of Aden and the southern Red Sea as a distinct species that is genetically separated from M. amakusensis and is morphologically distinct from the latter due to its smaller corallite size and lower number of septa. Finally, molecular trees show that S. wilsoni is closely related, but molecularly separated from clades A and B, and, also based on a unique combination of corallite and sub-corallite characters, the species is moved into Australophyllia gen. nov. These findings confirm the need for using both genetic and morphological datasets for the ongoing taxonomic revision of scleractinian corals.

Title:
When forms meet genes: revision of the scleractinian genera Micromussa and Homophyllia (Lobophylliidae) with a description of two new species and one new genus
Article Type:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1163/18759866-08504002
Language:
English
Pages:
387–422
Keywords:
coral; evolution; phylogeny; systematics; taxonomy
In:
Contributions to Zoology
In:
Volume 85: Issue 4
Received:
17 Aug 2015
Accepted:
25 Jan 2016
Publisher:
Brill
E-ISSN:
1875-9866
Print ISSN:
1383-4517
Subjects:
Zoology, Biology, Biology & Environmental Sciences

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