Taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of Aegla Leach, 1820 (Crustacea, Anomura, Aeglidae) from High Paraná and High Uruguay basins

• Grant number: 12/16083-0
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal researcher: Sérgio Luiz de Siqueira Bueno
• Grantee: Juliana Cristina Bertacini de Moraes
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The taxon Aegla Leach, 1820 is endemic to South America, and the only extant group within the family Aeglidae Dana, 1852. Aegla is unique among anomuran decapods because all known species live in freshwater environment, although fossil records suggest marine origin of the family. There are some taxonomical, morphological and geographical distribution studies concerning aeglids. However, phylogenetic information based in the morphology of the group is basically limited to papers on the position of Aeglidae within the Infraorder Anomura, and a pioneer study in which the phylogenetic relationship of seven species from Chile is proposed. A cladistic analysis based on morphological characters of all the Aegla species from High Paraná and High Uruguay basins is herein proposed, aiming at: 1. Testing the monophyletism of the clade High Paraná-High Uruguay; 2. Investigating the phylogenetic position of A. leptochela and A. marginata (species from High Paraná, but supposedly not belonging to the clade High Paraná-High Uruguay), and the phylogenetic position of A. franca, A. lata, A. microphthalma and four non-described troglobite species, all of them from High Paraná; 3. Investigating the internal relationship among species of the clade High Paraná-High Uruguay; 4. Investigating the sister-group potential relationship among troglobite species of Aegla (troglobite species as reciprocal sisters or sisters of epigean species); 5. Formulating hypotheses concerning the invasion of hypogean environments (single or multiple events). To obtain the morphological characteristics needed for this analysis, the external morphology of adult aeglids and other anomurans will be comparatively studied. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BERTACINI MORAES, JULIANA CRISTINA; TAVARES, MARCOS; DE SIQUEIRA BUENO, SERGIO LUIZ. Taxonomic review of Aegla marginata Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 (Decapoda, Anomura, Aeglidae) with description of a new species. Zootaxa, v. 4323, n. 4, p. 519-533, SEP 25 2017. Web of Science Citations: 6.

BERTACINI MORAES, JULIANA CRISTINA; TEROSSI, MARIANA; BURANELLI, RAQUEL CORREA; TAVARES, MARCOS; MANTELATTO, FERNANDO L.; DE SIQUEIRA BUENO, SERGIO LUIZ. Morphological and molecular data reveal the cryptic diversity among populations of Aegla paulensis (Decapoda, Anomura, Aeglidae), with descriptions of four new species and comments on dispersal routes and conservation status. Zootaxa, v. 4193, n. 1, p. 1-48, NOV 15 2016. Web of Science Citations: 18.