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Primeras Páginas 3 Copia.Qxp Astroides.qxp 14/6/12 09:49 Página 207 Graellsia, 68(1): 207-218 enero-junio 2012 ISSN: 0367-5041 doi:10.3989/graellsia.2012.v68.057 SLIGHT GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN WESTERN AND EASTERN LIMITS OF ASTROIDES CALYCULARIS (PALLAS, 1776) (ANTHOZOA, SCLERACTINIA, DENDROPHYLLIIDAE) DISTRIBUTION INFERRED FROM COI AND ITS SEQUENCES P. Merino-Serrais1, P. Casado-Amezúa1, Ó. Ocaña2, J. Templado1 & A. Machordom1* ABSTRACT P. Merino-Serrais, P. Casado-Amezúa, Ó. Ocaña, J. Templado & A. Machordom. 2012. Slight genetic differentiation between western and eastern limits of Astroides calycularis (Pallas, 1776) (Anthozoa, Scleractinia, Dendrophylliidae) distribution inferred from COI and ITS sequences. Graellsia, 68(1): 207-218. Understanding population genetic structure and differentiation among populations is use- ful for the elaboration of management and conservation plans of threatened species. In this study, we use nuclear and mitochondrial markers (internal transcribed spacers -ITS and cytochrome oxidase subunit one -COI) for phylogenetics and nested clade analyses (NCA), thus providing the first assessment of the genetic structure of the threatened Mediterranean coral Astroides calycularis (Pallas, 1766), based on samples from 12 localities along its geo- graphic distribution range. Overall, we found no population differentiation in the westernmost region of the Mediterranean; however, a slight differentiation was observed when comparing this region with the Tyrrhenian and Algerian basins. Keywords: Threatened coral; population genetic structure; Mediterranean Sea. RESUMEN P. Merino-Serrais, P. Casado-Amezúa, Ó. Ocaña, J. Templado & A. Machordom. 2012. Leve diferenciación genética entre los límites occidental y oriental de distribución de Astroides calycularis (Pallas, 1776) (Anthozoa, Scleractinia, Dendrophylliidae), inferida a partir de secuencias de COI e ITS. Graellsia, 68(1): 207-218 (in English). El estudio de la estructura de las poblaciones y su diferenciación a nivel genético es de gran utilidad para la elaboración de planes de manejo y conservación de especies amenaza- das. En este estudio, utilizamos marcadores nucleares y mitocondriales (espaciadores inter- nos de genes ribosomales -ITS y citocromo oxidasa, subunidad I -COI) y métodos de análisis filogenéticos y de clados anidados (NCA), para realizar la primera valoración de la estructu- ra genética del coral naranja Astroides calycularis (Pallas, 1766), una especie amenazada del Mediterráneo, a partir de muestras de 12 localidades a lo largo de su área de distribución. En las localidades situadas en la región más occidental del Mediterráneo se encontró cierta homogeneidad genética, mientras que al comparar estas localidades con las de las cuencas argelina y del mar Tirreno se observó una ligera diferenciación. Palabras clave: Coral amenazado; estructura genética poblacional; mar Mediterráneo. 1 Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC). c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2. 28006 Madrid, Spain. 2 Museo del Mar de Ceuta. Muelle Cañonero Dato s/n. 51001 Ceuta, Spain. * Corresponding author A. Machordom (e-mail address: [email protected]) Telephone: +34 91 411 13 28 (ext. 1126) Fax: +34 91 564 50 78 Current address: Laboratorio de Circuitos Corticales (CTB-CSIC). Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus Montegancedo s/n. 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain. Astroides.qxp 18/6/12 09:45 Página 208 208 Merino-Serrais, Casado-Amezúa, Ocaña, Templado & Machordom Introduction in shallow waters. In some places, this coral is the dominant species covering up to 80-90% of the sur- Polyspecific coral reefs disappeared from the face of the walls. In places of high hydrodynamics, it Mediterranean Sea at the end of the Messinian, typically forms massive colonies with polygonal Late Miocene (Esteban, 1996). In spite of this, 33 corallites. In sheltered or deeper places, colonies tend species of scleractinian corals can currently be to have a bush-shaped morphology with nearly circu- found in this sea (approximately half of them are lar corallites. The ecological importance of A. caly- colonial species). Among them, only one species, cularis as a biobuilder has been previously shown in Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767), remains as a study based on North African populations (Ocaña, a monospecific coral-reef builder. Although many 2005). of these species are affected by disruption or This coral has been characterised as gonochoric, regression due to global climate change and human both at the polyp and colony level, and as planula- impact, none of them are included in the annexes of brooder (Goffredo et al., 2010). Field observations the Habitat Directive, and only one, Astroides caly- performed by various authors have characterised the cularis (Pallas, 1766), has been included in Annex larvae as having negative buoyancy and a demersal II of the Bern and Barcelona Conventions (list of behaviour, and thus crawling until finding a sub- endangered or threatened species). strate to settle on (Lacaze-Duthiers, 1873; Goffredo Astroides calycularis is a colonial azooxanthe- et al., 2009). llate coral commonly known as “Mediterranean Some authors regard A. calycularis as an ancient orange coral” because of the deep orange colour of Tethyan species (Ocaña et al., 2007, 2009). It is an its coenosarc and polyps (Zibrowius, 1995). It indicator of Quaternary climate oscillations, since it belongs to the family Dendrophylliidae, which is a warm-water species with a tolerance for a nar- comprises nearly 170 species worldwide (Cairns, row temperature range (Bianchi & Morri, 1993). 2001) and represents approximately 23% of all azo- Based on fossil evidence, it was widely distributed oxanthellate coral species (Picciani et al., 2011). throughout the Western Mediterranean Sea during Zibrowius (1995) suggested that A. calycularis certain periods of the Pleistocene (Zibrowius, resembles some species of Tubastrea, a genus that 1995), but disappeared from the Northern occurs worldwide in tropical seas, and in particular Mediterranean areas during colder periods. This a relatively similar species found in the Cape Verde response is similar to that of other warm-water islands. More recently, based on skeletal biomine- corals, such as the closely related genus Tubastrea ralization patterns and 28S rRNA sequences, it has (see Ocaña et al., 2007, 2009). been found that the monotypic genus Astroides Currently, the range distribution of A. calycularis forms a monophyletic group with the genera is restricted to the south-central part of the Western Balanophyllia and Tubastrea (Cuif et al. 2003). But Mediterranean Sea. In particular, it is found in the this only demonstrates that the dendrophylliid taxa following regions: the southeastern Iberian analysed were in accordance with the current taxo- Peninsula, from the Strait of Gibraltar to Cape Palos nomy and classification, contrary to other families (Murcia); the northern coasts of Africa, from the as, for instance, Caryophylliidae or Pocilloporiidae Strait of Gibraltar to Cape Bonn in Tunisia; around (see Kerr, 2005 or Kitahara et al., 2010). However, Sicily and nearby islands; and the Gulf of Naples in a dendrophylliid phylogeny based only on morpho- the Tyrrhenian Sea (Zibrowius, 1995; Bianchi, logical data, showed Tubastrea and Turbinaria as 2007; Goffredo et al., 2010). In addition, some the sister group of Astroides, Balanophyllia not records report its existence in the Atlantic coast of being directly related to Astroides (Cairns, 2001). southern Spain and northern Morocco (Zibrowius, A detailed description of this coral has been pro- 1980; Bianchi, 2007). Recently, A. calycularis has vided by Zibrowius (1980), and more recently, also been found in the Adriatic Sea, along the coast Goffredo et al. (2011) studied the colony and polyp of Croatia (Grubelic´ et al., 2004) up to the Gulf of biometric relationships and intra-colony polyp popu- Venice (Casellato et al., 2007). The recent range lation size structure. This coral lives in shaded habi- expansion of this species into the Adriatic Sea tats (e.g., vertical walls, overhangs and cave seems to have been influenced by the warming of entrances), prefers areas with high hydrodynamics seawater, by the prevailing sea current system and and can be found from the water surface to a depth of by the rocky coastal configuration (Grubelic´ et al., approximately 50 metres; however, it is mainly found Graellsia, 68(1), Junio 2012, pp. 207-218 — ISSN: 0367-5041 doi:10.3989/graellsia.2012.v68.057 Astroides.qxp 14/6/12 09:49 Página 209 Genetic characterisation of Astroides calycularis 209 2004). However, currently, this species is disappear- ing in some places because of destruction or loss of habitat caused by human activities, such as coastal development, pollution, diving, angling and illegal fishing of the endolithic date-mussel Lithophaga lithophaga (Templado et al., 2004; Moreno et al., 2008). To better understand the processes impacting regression of this coral during its history, its current expansion to the northeast and to establish the pro- per conservation plans, it is important to determine the genetic structure and the extent of gene flow among different populations along its geographical range. It is difficult to disentangle the effects of con- temporary gene flow with those of historic popula- tion extinctions, expansions and colonisations, all of which have led to the present-day species distribu- tion and population structure. To date, population genetic studies of Mediterranean scleractinian
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