Morpho-molecular delineation of structurally important reef species, the fire corals, Millepora spp., at Réunion Island, Southwestern Indian Ocean
Looking at taxa that could dominate Anthropocene reefs, the fire corals, Millepora spp., represent compelling alternative because of their similar role than scleractinian corals. However, species identification has been the subject of much debate over the past 150 years. As they may turn as among th...
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Published in | Hydrobiologia Vol. 847; no. 5; pp. 1237 - 1255 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Cham
Springer International Publishing
01.03.2020
Springer Nature B.V Springer |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Looking at taxa that could dominate Anthropocene reefs, the fire corals,
Millepora
spp., represent compelling alternative because of their similar role than scleractinian corals. However, species identification has been the subject of much debate over the past 150 years. As they may turn as among the last refuges for reef biodiversity, it is critical to accurately delimit their species boundaries to appreciate better their resilience to future environmental conditions. Combining morphological and molecular approaches, we investigated
Millepora
species delimitation in Réunion Island where three species co-occur:
Millepora exaesa
,
Millepora platyphylla
and
Millepora tenera
. Our results showed that both pore characters and polyp morphologies successfully distinguished species. Gastropore and dactylopore numbers and diameters should be used as standard traits in
Millepora
. Regarding molecular delineation, the mitochondrial gene clearly segregated the species, whereas the nuclear gene showed shared haplotypes between species, likely influenced by ancestral polymorphism. Confirming the results of a recent study on Red Sea fire corals showing their distinction from the Indo-Pacific ones, we emphasize that formal re-descriptions of the Indo-Pacific
M.
cf.
platyphylla
and
M.
cf.
exaesa
are needed. Our study highlights the importance of a trait-based qualitative and quantitative approach coupled to molecular delineation, especially for structurally important reef species. |
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ISSN: | 0018-8158 1573-5117 |
DOI: | 10.1007/s10750-020-04179-0 |