Hyper-cryptic marine meiofauna: species complexes in Nemertodermatida

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 9; no. 9; p. e107688
• Main Authors: Meyer-Wachsmuth, Inga, Curini Galletti, Marco, Jondelius, Ulf
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 2014; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Animals; Aquatic Organisms - classification; Aquatic Organisms - genetics; Bayesian analysis; Biodiversity; Biology and Life Sciences; cryptic species; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Dispersal; Distribution patterns; Diversity of life; DNA; Elongation; Evolution; Geography; Haplotypes; Hypotheses; Livets mångfald; marine biodiversity; marine biology; marine meiofauna; Meiofauna; Morphology; Multilocus Sequence Typing; Museums; Nemertoderma; Nemertodermatida; Phylogeny; Platyhelminthes; Reproducibility of Results; Species; species delimitation; Species diversity; Studies; Sympatric populations; Systematic Zoology; Taxonomy; Trends; Worms; zoologisk systematik och evolutionsforskning; Zoology
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107688

Nemertodermatida are microscopically small, benthic marine worms. Specimens of two nominal species, Sterreria psammicola and Nemertinoides elongatus from 33 locations worldwide were sequenced for three molecular markers. Species delimitation and validation was done using gene trees, haplotype networks and multilocus Bayesian analysis. We found 20 supported species of which nine: Nemertinoides glandulosum n.sp., N. wolfgangi n.sp., Sterreria boucheti n.sp., S. lundini n.sp., S. martindalei n.sp., S. monolithes n.sp., S. papuensis n.sp., S. variabilis n.sp. and S. ylvae n.sp., are described including nucleotide-based diagnoses. The distribution patterns indicate transoceanic dispersal in some of the species. Sympatric species were found in many cases. The high level of cryptic diversity in this meiofauna group implies that marine diversity may be higher than previously estimated.