The Diversity and Phylogenetic Relationships of a <i>Chaetopterus</i> Symbiont Community in Djibouti, with Redescription of <i>Chaetopterus djiboutiensis</i> Gravier, 1906 Stat. Nov. (Annelida: Chaetopteridae)

The Diversity and Phylogenetic Relationships of a <i>Chaetopterus</i> Symbiont Community in Djibouti, with Redescription of <i>Chaetopterus djiboutiensis</i> Gravier, 1906 Stat. Nov. (Annelida: Chaetopteridae)

The tubes of polychaetes of the genus <i>Chaetopterus</i> (Annelida: Chaetopteridae) provide habitat for cryptic, symbiotic organisms that are often overlooked when examining diversity. Our study employed molecular phylogenetics to examine the diversity of symbiont species associated wit...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shannon D. Brown, Tullia I. Terraneo, Jenna M. Moore, Gustav Paulay, Kristine N. White, Michael L. Berumen, Francesca Benzoni
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Diversity
Subjects:
Polychaeta
symbiotic communities
Indo-Pacific
benthic diversity
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/5/366
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Summary:The tubes of polychaetes of the genus <i>Chaetopterus</i> (Annelida: Chaetopteridae) provide habitat for cryptic, symbiotic organisms that are often overlooked when examining diversity. Our study employed molecular phylogenetics to examine the diversity of symbiont species associated with <i>Chaetopterus djiboutiensis</i> stat. nov., collected from the Gulf of Tadjoura, Djibouti. A total of 15 <i>Chaetopterus</i> hosts and their associated symbionts were collected from nine coastal sites. Four genetic regions were targeted for PCR amplification: the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I and 16S rDNA and the nuclear 18S rDNA and Histone H3. <i>Chaetopterus djiboutiensis</i> was redescribed from topotypic material and elevated to species rank, and a neotype specimen was designated. Phylogenetic and morphological analysis confirmed five species associated with <i>C. djiboutiensis</i> in Djibouti: two porcelain crabs, <i>Polyonyx pedalis</i> and <i>Polyonyx socialis</i>; one nudibranch, <i>Tenellia chaetopterana</i>; one fish, <i>Onuxodon</i> sp.; and one amphipod, <i>Leucothoe</i> sp. A. As only the fourth comprehensive study on <i>Chaetopterus</i> symbionts, our study highlights the diversity and community patterns of symbionts associated with these unique tubicolous marine polychaetes.
ISSN:1424-2818

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