Lack of host specificity of copepod crustaceans associated with mushroom corals in the Red Sea
Type
ArticleAuthors
Ivanenko, Viatcheslav N.Hoeksema, Bert W.
Mudrova, Sofya V.
Nikitin, Mikhail A.
Martínez, Alejandro
Rimskaya-Korsakova, Nadezda N.
Berumen, Michael L.

Fontaneto, Diego
KAUST Department
Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) DivisionMarine Science Program
Red Sea Research Center (RSRC)
KAUST Grant Number
No. 1389-CRG1Date
2018-06-15Online Publication Date
2018-06-15Print Publication Date
2018-10Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/630482
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The radiation of symbiotic copepods (Crustacea: Copepoda) living in association with stony corals (Cnidaria: Scleractinia) is considered host-specific and linked to the phylogenetic diversification of their hosts. However, symbiotic copepods are poorly investigated, occurrence records are mostly anecdotal, and no explicit analysis exists regarding their relationship with the hosts. Here, we analysed the occurrence of symbiotic copepods on different co-occurring and phylogenetically closely related scleractinian corals. We used an innovative approach of DNA extraction from single microscopic specimens that preserves the shape of the organisms for integrative morphological studies. The rationale of the study involved: (i) sampling of mushroom corals (Fungiidae) belonging to 13 species and eight genera on different reefs along the Saudi coastline in the Red Sea, (ii) extraction of all the associated copepods, (iii) morphological screening and identification of copepod species, (iv) use of DNA taxonomy on mitochondrial and nuclear markers to determine species boundaries for morphologically unknown copepod species, (v) reconstruction of phylogenies to understand their evolutionary relationships, and (vi) analysis of the ecological drivers of the occurrence, diversity and host specificity of the copepods. The seven species of coral-associated copepods, all new to science, did not show any statistically significant evidence of host-specificity or other pattern of ecological association. We thus suggest that, contrary to most assumptions and previous anecdotal evidence on this coral-copepod host-symbiont system, the association between copepods and their host corals is rather labile, not strict, and not phylogenetically constrained, changing our perception on evolutionary patterns and processes in symbiotic copepods.Citation
Ivanenko VN, Hoeksema BW, Mudrova SV, Nikitin MA, Martínez A, et al. (2018) Lack of host specificity of copepod crustaceans associated with mushroom corals in the Red Sea. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 127: 770–780. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2018.06.024.Sponsors
The sampling was supported by award No. 1389-CRG1 and baseline funding from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to MLB. DNA extraction, amplification, and data analysis was conducted under a CNR-RFBR Italian-Russian bilateral agreement grant (RFBR #15-54-78061) to DF and VNI; DNA sequencing was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (#14-50-00029); microscopic and taxonomic study was supported by RFBR grant (#18-04-01192) to VNI. AM was supported by a Marie Curie fellowship (MSCA ANCAVE #745530). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.Publisher
Elsevier BVAdditional Links
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790318301945ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/j.ympev.2018.06.024