鳞侧尖柳珊瑚Paracis squamata(Nutting,1910)(八放珊瑚亚纲:丛柳珊瑚科)的形态学和系统发育研究

Morphology and phylogenetic analysis of Paracis squamata(Nutting,1910)(Octocorallia:Plexauridae)

2014年自雅浦海沟附近的一座海山通过水下无人遥控潜水器获得3株八放珊瑚样本,通过对其珊瑚虫和骨片观察,并结合线粒体错配修复蛋白基因(mtMutS)的测序分析,进行了分类学和系统发育研究。结果显示,3株八放珊瑚均为鳞侧尖柳珊瑚Paracis squamata(Nutting,1910)。该物种主要特征为具有鳞片状的萼部骨片和无规则板状的共肉组织外层骨片。在基于mtMutS基因构建的系统发育树中,鳞侧尖柳珊瑚与侧尖柳珊瑚未定种(Paracis sp.)以高置信度聚在一起,侧尖柳珊瑚属(Paracis)和鳞尖柳珊瑚属(Lepidomuricea)以高支持率形成姐妹枝。本文对鳞侧尖柳珊瑚的形态学特征进行了全面研究,首次描述了共肉组织内层骨片的特征,揭示侧尖柳珊瑚属与鳞尖柳珊瑚属具有较近的亲缘关系。

Three octocoral specimens were obtained from a seamount near the Yap Trench using a remotely oper-ated vehicle in 2014.Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies were conducted by observing their polyps and sclerites,combined with a topology analysis based on the mitochondrial mismatch repair protein gene(mtMutS).The three octocoral specimens were Paracis squamata(Nutting,1910),which is mainly characterized by scales in the calyces and irregular plates in the outer layer of the coenenchyme.The phylogenetic tree of the mtMutS gene revealed that P.squamata clustered with Paracis sp.with full node support,and the genus Paracis formed a sister clade with Lepidomuricea with high support.To the best of our knowledge,this is the first study to provide detailed morphological descriptions of the P.squamata specimens,along with the features of the inner layer of the coenenchyme sclerites.Furthermore,the phylogenetic analysis indicated a close relationship between the genera Paracis and Lepidomu-ricea.