Integrative taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of genus Aplysina (Demospongiae: Verongida) from Mexican Pacific

PLoS One. 2012;7(8):e42049. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042049. Epub 2012 Aug 13.

Abstract

Integrative taxonomy provides a major approximation to species delimitation based on integration of different perspectives (e.g. morphology, biochemistry and DNA sequences). The aim of this study was to assess the relationships and boundaries among Eastern Pacific Aplysina species using morphological, biochemical and molecular data. For this, a collection of sponges of the genus Aplysina from the Mexican Pacific was studied on the basis of their morphological, chemical (chitin composition), and molecular markers (mitochondrial COI and nuclear ribosomal rDNA: ITS1-5.8-ITS2). Three morphological species were identified, two of which are new to science. A. clathrata sp. nov. is a yellow to yellow-reddish or -brownish sponge, characterized by external clathrate-like morphology; A. revillagigedi sp. nov. is a lemon yellow to green, cushion-shaped sometimes lobate sponge, characterized by conspicuous oscules, which are slightly elevated and usually linearly distributed on rims; and A. gerardogreeni a known species distributed along the Mexican Pacific coast. Chitin was identified as the main structural component within skeletons of the three species using FTIR, confirming that it is shared among Verongida sponges. Morphological differences were confirmed by DNA sequences from nuclear ITS1-5.8-ITS2. Mitochondrial COI sequences showed extremely low but diagnostic variability for Aplysina revillagigedi sp. nov., thus our results corroborate that COI has limited power for DNA-barcoding of sponges and should be complemented with other markers (e.g. rDNA). Phylogenetic analyses of Aplysina sequences from the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean, resolved two allopatric and reciprocally monophyletic groups for each region. Eastern Pacific species were grouped in general accordance with the taxonomic hypothesis based on morphological characters. An identification key of Eastern Pacific Aplysina species is presented. Our results constitute one of the first approximations to integrative taxonomy, phylogeny and evolutionary biogeography of Eastern Pacific marine sponges; an approach that will significantly contribute to our better understanding of their diversity and evolutionary history.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caribbean Region
  • Classification / methods*
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / genetics
  • Ecosystem
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Mexico
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Phylogeny*
  • Porifera / anatomy & histology
  • Porifera / classification*
  • Porifera / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

  • DNA, Mitochondrial

Grants and funding

This research has been supported by the projects SEP-CONACYT-102239, SEMARNAT-CONACYT-23390, PAPIT-IT209311-3 and IACOD-IB200711 (CONACYT = Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, SEP = Secretaria de Educación Pública, SEMARNAT = Secretaria de medio ambiente y recursos naturales, PAPIT = Programa de Apoyo a Proyectos de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica, IACOD = Iniciativa de Apoyo complementario a la realización de Obras Determinadas). The first author received financial support from CICESE (Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación superior de Ensenada) for an academical stay. Hermann Ehrlich received financial support from the German Research Foundation (DFG EH 394/1-1). No additional external funding received for this study. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.