The importance of molecular characters when morphological variability hinders diagnosability: systematics of the moon jellyfish genus Aurelia (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa)

Autor(es)

Lawley, Jonathan W. ^{[1, 2]} ; Gamero-Mora, Edgar ^[1] ; Maronna, Maximiliano M. ^[1] ; Chiaverano, Luciano M. ^[3] ; Stampar, Sergio N. ^[4] ; Hopcroft, Russell R. ^[5] ; Collins, Allen G. ^[6] ; Morandini, Andre C. ^{[7, 1]}

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biociencias, Dept Zool, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] Griffith Univ, Coastal & Marine Res Ctr, Sch Environm & Sci, Australian Rivers Inst, Gold Coast, Qld - Australia

^[3] Inst Nacl Invest & Desarrollo Pesquero, Mar Del Plata, Buenos Aires - Argentina

^[4] Univ Estadual Paulista, Fac Ciencias & Letras, Dept Ciencias Biol, Assis, SP - Brazil

^[5] Univ Alaska Fairbanks, Coll Fisheries & Ocean Sci, Fairbanks, AK - USA

^[6] NOAA, Natl Systemat Lab, Fisheries Serv, Natl Museum Nat Hist, Smithsonian Inst, Washington, DC - USA

^[7] Univ Sao Paulo, Ctr Biol Marinha, Sao Sebastiao, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: PeerJ; v. 9, SEP 9 2021.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

Cryptic species have been detected across Metazoa, and while no apparent morphological features distinguish them, it should not impede taxonomists from formal descriptions. We accepted this challenge for the jellyfish genus Aurelia, which has a long and confusing taxonomic history. We demonstrate that morphological variability in Aurelia medusae overlaps across very distant geographic localities. Even though some morphological features seem responsible for most of the variation, regional geographic patterns of dissimilarities are lacking. This is further emphasized by morphological differences found when comparing lab-cultured Aurelia coerulea medusae with the diagnostic features in its recent redescription. Previous studies have also highlighted the difficulties in distinguishing Aurelia polyps and ephyrae, and their morphological plasticity. Therefore, mostly based on genetic data, we recognize 28 species of Aurelia, of which seven were already described, 10 are formally described herein, four are resurrected and seven remain undescribed. We present diagnostic genetic characters for all species and designate type materials for newly described and some resurrected species. Recognizing moon jellyfish diversity with formal names is vital for conservation efforts and other studies. This work clarifies the practical implications of molecular genetic data as diagnostic characters, and sheds light on the patterns and processes that generate crypsis. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 19/03552-0 - Padrões reprodutivos, comportamentais e genômicos em Ceriantharia (Cnidaria): um passo para a compreensão da evolução marinha
• Beneficiário: Sérgio Nascimento Stampar
• Linha de fomento: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 17/07317-0 - Preenchendo as lacunas na sistemática de Aurelia (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa): uma integração de dados morfológicos a espécies moleculares conhecidas
• Beneficiário: Jonathan Wanderley Lawley
• Linha de fomento: Bolsas no Exterior - Estágio de Pesquisa - Mestrado
• Processo FAPESP: 16/04560-9 - Padrões e processos na vida marinha: macroevolução nos Scyphozoa (Medusozoa)
• Beneficiário: Maximiliano Manuel Maronna
• Linha de fomento: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 16/12163-0 - A identidade da água-viva Aurelia (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa) do litoral brasileiro e discussões sobre a sistemática e taxonomia do gênero
• Beneficiário: Jonathan Wanderley Lawley
• Linha de fomento: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado
• Processo FAPESP: 15/21007-9 - Reconhecendo a diversidade de águas-vivas (Medusozoa, Rhopaliophora)
• Beneficiário: André Carrara Morandini
• Linha de fomento: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular