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Phylogenetic relationships and revision of the genus Blastomussa (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) with description of a new species

The Indo-Pacific coral genus Blastomussa (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) includes three species, i.e., B. merleti, B. wellsi, and B. loyae. Following the re-examination of relevant type material, other museum specimens, and the study of newly sampled corals, the genus is revised and the new speci...

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Main Authors: Francesca Benzoni, Roberto Arrigoni, Zarinah Waheed, Fabrizio Stefani, Bert W. Hoeksema
Format: Article
Language:English
English
Published: National University of Singapore 2014
Subjects:
QL Zoology
Online Access:https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/20537/1/Phylogenetic%20relationships%20and%20revision%20of%20the%20genus%20Blastomussa.pdf
https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/20537/7/Phylogenetic%20relationships%20and%20revision%20of%20the%20genus%20Blastomussa.pdf
https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/20537/
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spelling my.ums.eprints.205372021-09-29T08:26:22Z https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/20537/ Phylogenetic relationships and revision of the genus Blastomussa (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) with description of a new species Francesca Benzoni Roberto Arrigoni Zarinah Waheed Fabrizio Stefani Bert W. Hoeksema QL Zoology The Indo-Pacific coral genus Blastomussa (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) includes three species, i.e., B. merleti, B. wellsi, and B. loyae. Following the re-examination of relevant type material, other museum specimens, and the study of newly sampled corals, the genus is revised and the new species B. vivida is described. The new species differs from its congeners by being encrusting, having coralla with a cerioid corallite arrangement and much larger corallites. In vivo, the expanded polyp mantle is fleshy and characterised by bright, vivid colours. Specimens were sampled in New Caledonia, northern Papua New Guinea, Sabah (northern Malaysia), Brunei Darussalam and the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Additional records from Southeast Asia and the western Pacific were obtained through the study of museum collections and published illustrations of living animals in situ: Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, and Australia. The new species appears widespread and has so far been misidentified as B. wellsi, which has smaller corallites, less septa, and a phaceloid corallite arrangement. The phylogenetic relationships within the genus Blastomussa and with other genera were investigated by analyses of their nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. These other genera are Parasimplastrea, Plerogyra, Physogyra, all currently incertae sedis in the Robust clade of Scleractinia as a result of molecular coral systematics, and Nemenzophyllia, whose phylogenetic position is examined for the first time. Representatives of all these genera are characterised by fleshy polyps with well-developed and expandable mantles. They are all closely related and form a strongly supported clade. The results of the molecular analyses provide evidence for Blastomussa's monophyly and show that the new B. vivida is a distinct species, which is most closely related to B. wellsi. Furthermore, the only known extant species of the genus Parasimplastrea appears to be embedded within the Blastomussa clade, thus prompting its taxonomic revision. Because Blastomussa is closely related to the monospecific Nemenzophyllia, the affinities of their polyp and corallite morphology are discussed. Although polyp morphology and molecular data suggest that Blastomussa, Plerogyra, Physogyra, and Nemenzophyllia could constitute a new scleractinian family, the macro and micromorphology of their skeletons need to be examined before a family diagnosis can be formulated. National University of Singapore 2014 Article PeerReviewed text en https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/20537/1/Phylogenetic%20relationships%20and%20revision%20of%20the%20genus%20Blastomussa.pdf text en https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/20537/7/Phylogenetic%20relationships%20and%20revision%20of%20the%20genus%20Blastomussa.pdf Francesca Benzoni and Roberto Arrigoni and Zarinah Waheed and Fabrizio Stefani and Bert W. Hoeksema (2014) Phylogenetic relationships and revision of the genus Blastomussa (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) with description of a new species. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 62. pp. 358-378. ISSN 0217-2445
institution Universiti Malaysia Sabah
building UMS Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Malaysia Sabah
content_source UMS Institutional Repository
url_provider http://eprints.ums.edu.my/
language English
English
topic QL Zoology
spellingShingle QL Zoology
Francesca Benzoni
Roberto Arrigoni
Zarinah Waheed
Fabrizio Stefani
Bert W. Hoeksema
Phylogenetic relationships and revision of the genus Blastomussa (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) with description of a new species
description The Indo-Pacific coral genus Blastomussa (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) includes three species, i.e., B. merleti, B. wellsi, and B. loyae. Following the re-examination of relevant type material, other museum specimens, and the study of newly sampled corals, the genus is revised and the new species B. vivida is described. The new species differs from its congeners by being encrusting, having coralla with a cerioid corallite arrangement and much larger corallites. In vivo, the expanded polyp mantle is fleshy and characterised by bright, vivid colours. Specimens were sampled in New Caledonia, northern Papua New Guinea, Sabah (northern Malaysia), Brunei Darussalam and the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Additional records from Southeast Asia and the western Pacific were obtained through the study of museum collections and published illustrations of living animals in situ: Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, and Australia. The new species appears widespread and has so far been misidentified as B. wellsi, which has smaller corallites, less septa, and a phaceloid corallite arrangement. The phylogenetic relationships within the genus Blastomussa and with other genera were investigated by analyses of their nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. These other genera are Parasimplastrea, Plerogyra, Physogyra, all currently incertae sedis in the Robust clade of Scleractinia as a result of molecular coral systematics, and Nemenzophyllia, whose phylogenetic position is examined for the first time. Representatives of all these genera are characterised by fleshy polyps with well-developed and expandable mantles. They are all closely related and form a strongly supported clade. The results of the molecular analyses provide evidence for Blastomussa's monophyly and show that the new B. vivida is a distinct species, which is most closely related to B. wellsi. Furthermore, the only known extant species of the genus Parasimplastrea appears to be embedded within the Blastomussa clade, thus prompting its taxonomic revision. Because Blastomussa is closely related to the monospecific Nemenzophyllia, the affinities of their polyp and corallite morphology are discussed. Although polyp morphology and molecular data suggest that Blastomussa, Plerogyra, Physogyra, and Nemenzophyllia could constitute a new scleractinian family, the macro and micromorphology of their skeletons need to be examined before a family diagnosis can be formulated.
format Article
author Francesca Benzoni
Roberto Arrigoni
Zarinah Waheed
Fabrizio Stefani
Bert W. Hoeksema
author_facet Francesca Benzoni
Roberto Arrigoni
Zarinah Waheed
Fabrizio Stefani
Bert W. Hoeksema
author_sort Francesca Benzoni
title Phylogenetic relationships and revision of the genus Blastomussa (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) with description of a new species
title_short Phylogenetic relationships and revision of the genus Blastomussa (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) with description of a new species
title_full Phylogenetic relationships and revision of the genus Blastomussa (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) with description of a new species
title_fullStr Phylogenetic relationships and revision of the genus Blastomussa (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) with description of a new species
title_full_unstemmed Phylogenetic relationships and revision of the genus Blastomussa (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) with description of a new species
title_sort phylogenetic relationships and revision of the genus blastomussa (cnidaria: anthozoa: scleractinia) with description of a new species
publisher National University of Singapore
publishDate 2014
url https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/20537/1/Phylogenetic%20relationships%20and%20revision%20of%20the%20genus%20Blastomussa.pdf
https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/20537/7/Phylogenetic%20relationships%20and%20revision%20of%20the%20genus%20Blastomussa.pdf
https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/20537/
_version_ 1760229728362430464
score 13.211869

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