Cryptic species of cardinalfish with evidence for old and new divergence

Gerlach, Gabriele, Atema, Jelle, Raupach, Michael J., Deister, Fabian, Müeller, Anke, and Kingsford, Michael J. (2016) Cryptic species of cardinalfish with evidence for old and new divergence. Coral Reefs, 35 (2). pp. 437-450.

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Abstract

Larval dispersal and limited knowledge of physical boundaries challenge our understanding of the processes that drive genetic divergence and potential speciation in the marine environment. Divergence, both within and between populations of marine taxa, is not uncommon, but spatial and temporal stability of observed genetic structure is not well known. Previously, we detected large genetic differences among populations of the cardinalfish species Ostorhinchus doederleini inhabiting adjacent coral reefs. Here, we determined the spatial and temporal persistence of these genetic structures over the course of ten consecutive generations. Using microsatellite markers, we detected large changes (genetic population distance, D (est), ranged from 0.04 to 0.46) in the genetic structure in some years, but some reefs maintained the same populations for nearly all sampling years. As this species' life span does not exceed 1 yr, persistence of distinct reef populations suggests natal homing. Mitochondrial identity based on two mtDNA markers corroborates the nuclear genetic evidence for genetic differences large enough to constitute different clades and even cryptic species in O. doederleini, which, based on gross morphology, was thought to be a single taxon. Habitat specialization was observed in one clade that exclusively inhabited reef lagoons, while all clades could be observed on reef slopes. We suggest that local habitat recognition combined with local population recognition and selection against hybrids can form barriers that maintain a cryptic species complex.

Item ID: 45514
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1432-0975
Keywords: biodiversity, cryptic species, genetic patchiness, marine dispersal, speciation, temporal stability
Funders: National Science Foundation (NSF), German Science Foundation (GSF), National Geographic Society (NGS), ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
Projects and Grants: NSF Grant OCE-0452885, GSF Ge842/6-1, NSF Grant OCE-0452988, NGS grant 7236-02
Date Deposited: 15 Jun 2016 07:40
FoR Codes: 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3104 Evolutionary biology > 310402 Biogeography and phylogeography @ 100%
SEO Codes: 97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences @ 100%
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