Morphological Characteristics, Mitochondrial Genome, and Evolutionary Insights Into a New Sea Squirt From the Beibu Gulf

ABSTRACT A new species of the genus Microcosmus was described in this study based on specimens collected from the coast of Xilian Town, Xuwen County, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, China. The morphological and molecular characteristics of this new species, Microcosmus sp. z YZ‐2024 (YZ‐2024), distin...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yichuan Zhang, Yuting Qin, Yueying Wu, Liping Liu, Wenguang Zhang, Ling Ding, Xiangpei Ya, Zhiting Wen, Kuaili Feng, Hong Wang, Yujun Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-01-01
Series:Ecology and Evolution
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70639
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832583033080774656
author Yichuan Zhang
Yuting Qin
Yueying Wu
Liping Liu
Wenguang Zhang
Ling Ding
Xiangpei Ya
Zhiting Wen
Kuaili Feng
Hong Wang
Yujun Wang
author_facet Yichuan Zhang
Yuting Qin
Yueying Wu
Liping Liu
Wenguang Zhang
Ling Ding
Xiangpei Ya
Zhiting Wen
Kuaili Feng
Hong Wang
Yujun Wang
author_sort Yichuan Zhang
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT A new species of the genus Microcosmus was described in this study based on specimens collected from the coast of Xilian Town, Xuwen County, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, China. The morphological and molecular characteristics of this new species, Microcosmus sp. z YZ‐2024 (YZ‐2024), distinguish it from other sea squirts. Firstly, YZ‐2024 can be preliminarily distinguished by the following morphological features: (1) smooth surface of the tunica, without protuberances; (2) except for the attachment site, the tunica is orange‐red; (3) absence of neural ganglia, and the tunica does not contract abruptly when disturbed; (4) the heart is oval‐shaped. Most importantly, the mitochondrial genome characteristics of YZ‐2024 effectively and accurately distinguish it from other congeneric species, with a mitochondrial genome size of 14,520 bp (GenBank No. PP067884) and the proportions of bases A, T, G, and C comprising 26.83%, 47.16%, 16.91%, and 9.10%, respectively. Except for the gene COX1, the mitochondrial genome arrangement of YZ‐2024 is totally different from that of 22 other species in the class Ascidiacea. Evolutionary analysis has indicated that YZ‐2024 clusters with its congeneric species Microcosmus sulcatus. Interestingly, YZ‐2024 belongs to Pyuridae, but it clustered with 12 species of Styelidae into a clade. Based on this, it can be suggested that YZ‐2024 is a new species of sea squirt in the northern Beibu Gulf of the South China Sea. Moreover, this study is the first report of molecular identification of sea squirt species in the northern Beibu Gulf of the South China Sea.
format Article
id doaj-art-864770d7984e42f5a4fd8a06f6cd820c
institution Kabale University
issn 2045-7758
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Ecology and Evolution
spelling doaj-art-864770d7984e42f5a4fd8a06f6cd820c2025-01-29T05:08:41ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-01-01151n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70639Morphological Characteristics, Mitochondrial Genome, and Evolutionary Insights Into a New Sea Squirt From the Beibu GulfYichuan Zhang0Yuting Qin1Yueying Wu2Liping Liu3Wenguang Zhang4Ling Ding5Xiangpei Ya6Zhiting Wen7Kuaili Feng8Hong Wang9Yujun Wang10Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Pinglu Canal and Beibu Gulf Coastal Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Ocean College Beibu Gulf University Qinzhou ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Pinglu Canal and Beibu Gulf Coastal Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Ocean College Beibu Gulf University Qinzhou ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Pinglu Canal and Beibu Gulf Coastal Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Ocean College Beibu Gulf University Qinzhou ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Pinglu Canal and Beibu Gulf Coastal Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Ocean College Beibu Gulf University Qinzhou ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Pinglu Canal and Beibu Gulf Coastal Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Ocean College Beibu Gulf University Qinzhou ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Pinglu Canal and Beibu Gulf Coastal Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Ocean College Beibu Gulf University Qinzhou ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Pinglu Canal and Beibu Gulf Coastal Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Ocean College Beibu Gulf University Qinzhou ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Pinglu Canal and Beibu Gulf Coastal Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Ocean College Beibu Gulf University Qinzhou ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Pinglu Canal and Beibu Gulf Coastal Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Ocean College Beibu Gulf University Qinzhou ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Pinglu Canal and Beibu Gulf Coastal Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Ocean College Beibu Gulf University Qinzhou ChinaInstitute of Sericulture, Applied Technology R and D Center for Special Sericulture of Hebei Province Universities Institute of Sericulture, Chengde Medical University Chengde ChinaABSTRACT A new species of the genus Microcosmus was described in this study based on specimens collected from the coast of Xilian Town, Xuwen County, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, China. The morphological and molecular characteristics of this new species, Microcosmus sp. z YZ‐2024 (YZ‐2024), distinguish it from other sea squirts. Firstly, YZ‐2024 can be preliminarily distinguished by the following morphological features: (1) smooth surface of the tunica, without protuberances; (2) except for the attachment site, the tunica is orange‐red; (3) absence of neural ganglia, and the tunica does not contract abruptly when disturbed; (4) the heart is oval‐shaped. Most importantly, the mitochondrial genome characteristics of YZ‐2024 effectively and accurately distinguish it from other congeneric species, with a mitochondrial genome size of 14,520 bp (GenBank No. PP067884) and the proportions of bases A, T, G, and C comprising 26.83%, 47.16%, 16.91%, and 9.10%, respectively. Except for the gene COX1, the mitochondrial genome arrangement of YZ‐2024 is totally different from that of 22 other species in the class Ascidiacea. Evolutionary analysis has indicated that YZ‐2024 clusters with its congeneric species Microcosmus sulcatus. Interestingly, YZ‐2024 belongs to Pyuridae, but it clustered with 12 species of Styelidae into a clade. Based on this, it can be suggested that YZ‐2024 is a new species of sea squirt in the northern Beibu Gulf of the South China Sea. Moreover, this study is the first report of molecular identification of sea squirt species in the northern Beibu Gulf of the South China Sea.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70639mitochondrial genomemorphological characteristicsphylogenetic evolutionsea squirt
spellingShingle Yichuan Zhang
Yuting Qin
Yueying Wu
Liping Liu
Wenguang Zhang
Ling Ding
Xiangpei Ya
Zhiting Wen
Kuaili Feng
Hong Wang
Yujun Wang
Morphological Characteristics, Mitochondrial Genome, and Evolutionary Insights Into a New Sea Squirt From the Beibu Gulf
Ecology and Evolution
mitochondrial genome
morphological characteristics
phylogenetic evolution
sea squirt
title Morphological Characteristics, Mitochondrial Genome, and Evolutionary Insights Into a New Sea Squirt From the Beibu Gulf
title_full Morphological Characteristics, Mitochondrial Genome, and Evolutionary Insights Into a New Sea Squirt From the Beibu Gulf
title_fullStr Morphological Characteristics, Mitochondrial Genome, and Evolutionary Insights Into a New Sea Squirt From the Beibu Gulf
title_full_unstemmed Morphological Characteristics, Mitochondrial Genome, and Evolutionary Insights Into a New Sea Squirt From the Beibu Gulf
title_short Morphological Characteristics, Mitochondrial Genome, and Evolutionary Insights Into a New Sea Squirt From the Beibu Gulf
title_sort morphological characteristics mitochondrial genome and evolutionary insights into a new sea squirt from the beibu gulf
topic mitochondrial genome
morphological characteristics
phylogenetic evolution
sea squirt
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70639
work_keys_str_mv AT yichuanzhang morphologicalcharacteristicsmitochondrialgenomeandevolutionaryinsightsintoanewseasquirtfromthebeibugulf
AT yutingqin morphologicalcharacteristicsmitochondrialgenomeandevolutionaryinsightsintoanewseasquirtfromthebeibugulf
AT yueyingwu morphologicalcharacteristicsmitochondrialgenomeandevolutionaryinsightsintoanewseasquirtfromthebeibugulf
AT lipingliu morphologicalcharacteristicsmitochondrialgenomeandevolutionaryinsightsintoanewseasquirtfromthebeibugulf
AT wenguangzhang morphologicalcharacteristicsmitochondrialgenomeandevolutionaryinsightsintoanewseasquirtfromthebeibugulf
AT lingding morphologicalcharacteristicsmitochondrialgenomeandevolutionaryinsightsintoanewseasquirtfromthebeibugulf
AT xiangpeiya morphologicalcharacteristicsmitochondrialgenomeandevolutionaryinsightsintoanewseasquirtfromthebeibugulf
AT zhitingwen morphologicalcharacteristicsmitochondrialgenomeandevolutionaryinsightsintoanewseasquirtfromthebeibugulf
AT kuailifeng morphologicalcharacteristicsmitochondrialgenomeandevolutionaryinsightsintoanewseasquirtfromthebeibugulf
AT hongwang morphologicalcharacteristicsmitochondrialgenomeandevolutionaryinsightsintoanewseasquirtfromthebeibugulf
AT yujunwang morphologicalcharacteristicsmitochondrialgenomeandevolutionaryinsightsintoanewseasquirtfromthebeibugulf