海南岛附近海域肉芝软珊瑚的鉴定

Identification of the soft coral genera Sarcophyton in the coastal waters of Hainan Island

肉芝软珊瑚属(Sarcophyton)是珊瑚礁生态系统中常见的软珊瑚,具有极强的药用价值.我国肉芝软珊瑚种类资源十分丰富,但目前国内对此种珊瑚的分类研究处于停滞状态,肉芝软珊瑚外部形态差异较小,难以直接进行种类鉴定.本研究采集海南省三亚市西瑁岛、万宁市甘蔗岛和大洲岛珊瑚礁区的26个肉芝软珊瑚样品,根据骨针形态学初步鉴定,并分析线粒体msh1基因和COI基因序列进行种类鉴定.结果显示:所有采集的26个样品,鉴定为5个种,分别为:Sarcophyton cherbonnieri、Sarcophyton crassum、Sarcophyton trocheliophorum、Sarcophyton glaucum和Sarcophyton ehrenbergi.其中S. cherbonnieri和S. crassum为我国新纪录种.本研究为海南岛附近海域肉芝软珊瑚的鉴定提供参考,并为我国软珊瑚种类鉴定和生物多样性的研究提供基础数据.

Sarcophyton is a common soft coral genera in the coral reef ecosystem that is known to have important pharmaceutical value.Despite that Sarcophyton resources are abundant in China,no studies so far have pursued its identification.Moreover,the external morphology similarities of Sarcophyton species make it hard to be differentiated.In this study,a total of 26 samples of Sarcophyton were collected from reef areas in the West Island of Sanya City,Ganzhe Island and Dazhou Island of Wanning City,Hainan Province.A preliminary sclerites morphological identification,and analysis mitochondrial msh1 and COI gene for species identification,indicated that the collected species belongs to Sarcophyton cherbonnieri,Sarcophyton crassum,Sarcophyton trocheliophorum,Sarcophyton glaucum and Sarcophyton ehrenbergi.Since the soft corals S.cherbonnier and S.crassum are the first report to China,this study provides important baseline data for the identification of soft corals in China.