Revising the Taxonomy and Biology of Ornamental Worms (Polychaeta: Sabellidae) around the Arabian Peninsula
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MSc Thesis_Shannon Brown_Spring 2020.pdf
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2021-05-06
Type
ThesisAuthors
Brown, Shannon
Advisors
Berumen, Michael L.
Committee members
Benzoni, FrancescaCarvalho, Susana
Paulay, Gustav
Program
Marine ScienceDate
2020-04Embargo End Date
2021-05-06Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/662775
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At the time of archiving, the student author of this thesis opted to temporarily restrict access to it. The full text of this thesis will become available to the public after the expiration of the embargo on 2021-05-06.Abstract
Polychaetes are among the most abundant and diverse groups in the benthic environment; however, the diversity of marine polychaetes remains underexplored. On coral reef ecosystems, scientists predict 80-90% of species are still undescribed due to low sampling efforts in certain regions and the understudied nature of smaller invertebrates, such as polychaetes. Sabellidae, a prominent family of polychaetes, are known for their widespread distribution and are recognized as an ornamental worm due to their feather-like appendages. Here, we detail the diversity of Sabellidae around the understudied Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian Peninsula is surrounded by diverse marine ecosystems (e.g., coral reefs, seagrass beds) occurring in extreme environmental conditions (e.g., higher seawater temperature and strong seasonal variation). Our samples included 178 sabellids from the Saudi Arabian Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Arabian Gulf. Collected from February 2019 to February 2020, these sabellids were sampled from hard and soft substrate on coral reefs and their associated habitats. We used two molecular markers, the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S ribosomal DNA alongside an array of morphological analyses, including widely used characters, meristic counts, and morphometric measurements, to identify seven morphotypes. Environmental and biological information was also recorded to understand more about the ecology of these relatively understudied polychaetes. Our combined morphological and genetic analyses acknowledge the presence of six species from the genera Sabellastarte, Bispira, Branchiomma, and Acromegalomma. Our study identified the existence of potential undescribed species in the region and proposed expanded geographic ranges for three accepted species, Sabellastarte sanctijosephi, Branchiomma luctuosum, and Acromegalomma nechamae. The present work increases the current knowledge about the overall systematics of marine polychaetes in the Arabian Peninsula and ultimately contributes to the reassessment of the family’s biogeography.Citation
Brown, S. (2020). Revising the Taxonomy and Biology of Ornamental Worms (Polychaeta: Sabellidae) around the Arabian Peninsula. KAUST Research Repository. https://doi.org/10.25781/KAUST-ALVG0ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.25781/KAUST-ALVG0