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Using a combined approach to explain the morphological and ecological diversity in Phanogenia gracilis Hartlaub, 1893 (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) sensu lato: two species or intraspecific variation?

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Abstract

Phanogenia gracilis sensu lato is a shallow-water crinoid distributed throughout the Indo-western Pacific. The taxonomy of P. gracilis s.l. is clouded by the presence of two distinct morphotypes, each differing in morphology and ecology. The goal was to determine the taxonomic status of P. gracilis s.l. using partial gene sequences of two mitochondrial DNA genes, cytochrome oxidase c subunit I and NADH dehydrogenase subunit II, in conjunction with morphological and ecological data. The molecular phylogenies revealed three lineages separated by 5.0–6.6% corrected genetic distance, which is consistent with the genetic distances among other echinoderm species. Neither morphotype was monophyletic, nor was any examined morphological character exclusive to any one lineage. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) of the morphological and ecological data yielded significant results when grouping P. gracilis by morphotype and by clades recovered in the phylogenetic analyses, but grouping by sample locality was rejected. Although DFA results of grouping by clade were significant, jackknife support was weak, while only correctly grouping specimens by their respective clades 65% of the time. The results suggest the possibility of cryptic species, but additional molecular and morphological data are needed to confirm this. This study demonstrates the need to reevaluate the taxonomy of crinoid species and their respective diagnostic characters.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the South Australian Museum, and Patrick and Lori Colin and Laura Martin of the Coral Reef Research Foundation, Koror, Palau, for the loan of specimens. We would also like to thank Andrea Scouras of Simon Fraser University for advice toward primer design and access to unpublished data, Vince Richards for the help with project design and data analysis, and the three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments. This research was supported by a Nova Southeastern University President’s Faculty Research and Development Grant (2004–2005; Charles G. Messing and Mahmood S. Shivji) and an Australian Biological Resources Study Participatory Program Research Grant (Greg W. Rouse and Charles G. Messing).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Coral Reef Institute, Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL, 33004, USA

    Christopher L. Owen, Charles G. Messing & Mahmood S. Shivji

  2. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, 75 N. Eagleville Road, Unit 3043, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA

    Christopher L. Owen

  3. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0202, USA

    Greg W. Rouse

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  1. Christopher L. Owen
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Correspondence to Christopher L. Owen.

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Communicated by U. Sommer.

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Owen, C.L., Messing, C.G., Rouse, G.W. et al. Using a combined approach to explain the morphological and ecological diversity in Phanogenia gracilis Hartlaub, 1893 (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) sensu lato: two species or intraspecific variation?. Mar Biol 156, 1517–1529 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-009-1173-6

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