The origin and evolution of coral species richness in a marine biodiversity hotspot*

Abstract Background The evolutionary processes that shape patterns of species richness in marine ecosystems are complex and may differ between organismal groups. There has been considerable interest in understanding the evolutionary processes that led to marine species richness being concentrated in specific geographical locations. In this study we focus on the evolutionary history of a group of small-to-medium sized sharks known as carpet sharks. While a few carpet shark species are widespread, the majority of carpet shark species richness is contained within a biodiversity hotspot at the boundary of the Indian and Pacific oceans. We address the significance of this biodiversity hotspot in carpet shark evolution and speciation by leveraging a rich fossil record and molecular phylogenetics to examine the prehistoric distribution of carpet sharks. Results We find that carpet sharks species richness was greatest in shallow seas connected to the Atlantic Ocean during the Late Cretaceous, but that there was a subsequent loss of biodiversity in Atlantic waters. Fossil evidence from sites in close geographic proximity to the current center of carpet shark diversity are generally restricted to younger geologic strata. Conclusions From this data we conclude that (1) center of carpet shark biodiversity has shifted during the last 100 million years, (2) carpet sharks have repeatedly dispersed to nascent habitat (including to their current center of diversity), and (3) the current center of carpet shark biodiversity conserves lineages that have been extirpated from this prehistoric range and is a source of new carpet shark species. Our findings provide insights into the roles of marine biodiversity hotspots for higher-tropic level predators and the methods applied here can be used for additional studies of shark evolution.

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Integrating eDNA metabarcoding and simultaneous underwater visual surveys to describe complex fish communities in a marine biodiversity hotspot

Molecular Ecology Resources ◽

10.1111/1755-0998.13375 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tania Valdivia‐Carrillo ◽

Axayácatl Rocha‐Olivares ◽

Héctor Reyes‐Bonilla ◽

José Francisco Domínguez‐Contreras ◽

Adrian Munguia‐Vega

Keyword(s):

Fish Communities ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Marine Biodiversity

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Palm house – biodiversity hotspot or risk of invasion? Aquatic invertebrates: The special case of Monogononta (Rotifera) under greenhouse conditions

Biologia ◽

10.1515/biolog-2015-0012 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 70 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Małgorzata Kolicka ◽

Marcin Krzysztof Dziuba ◽

Krzysztof Zawierucha ◽

Natalia Kuczyńska–Kippen ◽

Lech Kotwicki

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

New Species ◽

Aquatic Plants ◽

Aquatic Invertebrates ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Simpson Index ◽

Mesocyclops Leuckarti ◽

Euchlanis Dilatata ◽

Special Case ◽

Stable Populations

AbstractGreenhouses form favourable conditions for establishing stable populations of native as well as invasive alien microinvertebrates. Investigations of palm houses have a long tradition and native, alien and new species for science have been found in many of them. The examined pond and some microreservoirs in Bromeliaceae and Agavoideae in Pozna´n Palm House (Poland) sampled in 2012, appeared to contain representatives of Rotifera (64 species), Copepoda (2 species), Polychaeta, Acari and Insecta larvae. The most abundant Rotifera species were: Anuraeopsis fissa Gosse, 1851, Ascomorpha ecaudis Perty 1850, Euchlanis dilatata Ehrenberg, 1832, Pompholyx sulcata Hudson, 1885 and Trichocerca rousseleti Voight, 1902. Moreover, rotifers considered to be rare in Poland, i.e., Asplanchna herricki De Guerne, 1888, Collotheca pelagica Rousselet, 1893, Colurella sulcata Stenroos, 1898, Gastropus minor Rousselet, 1892 were also detected in Pozna´n Palm House. Two recorded Copepoda species were Phyllognathopus viguieri (Maupas, 1892) found in agave microreservoirs and Mesocyclops leuckarti (Claus, 1857) found in reservoir with aquatic plants. For biodiversity evaluation of rotifers Margalef’s and Shannon-Wiener’s indexes were used and in order to determine species richness the Simpson index was calculated. Additionally, a complete list of all aquatic invertebrates is presented, i.e., Plathelmintes (11 species), Nemeretea (2 species), Oligochatea (13 taxa), Polychaeta (7 species), Gastrotricha (13 taxa) and Copepoda (1 species) previously recorded in Pozna´n Palm House. To sum up, Palm houses create a convenient habitat for a prevalence of native and introduced invertebrates and are a putative source of alien species, possibly facilitating their release to the environment.

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Increases in local richness (α-diversity) following invasion are offset by biotic homogenization in a biodiversity hotspot

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2019.0133 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (5) ◽

pp. 20190133 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Alessandra R. Kortz ◽

Anne E. Magurran

Keyword(s):

Invasive Species ◽

Species Richness ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Contemporary World ◽

Local Species Richness ◽

Β Diversity ◽

Α Diversity ◽

Local Species ◽

Biodiversity Change ◽

Null Expectation

The world's ecosystems are experiencing unparalleled rates of biodiversity change, with invasive species implicated as one of the drivers that restructure local assemblages. Here we focus on the processes leading to biodiversity change in a biodiversity hotspot, the Brazilian Cerrado. The null expectation that invasion leads to increase in local species richness is supported by our investigation of the grass layer in two key habitats (campo sujo and campo úmido). Our analysis uncovered a linear relationship between total richness and invasive richness at the plot level. However, because the invasive species—even though few in number—are widespread, their contribution to local richness (α-diversity) is offset by their homogenizing influence on composition (β-diversity). We thus identify a mechanism that can help explain the paradox that species richness is not declining in many local assemblages, yet compositional change is exceeding the predictions of ecological theory. As such, our results emphasize the importance of quantifying both α-diversity and β-diversity in assessments of biodiversity change in the contemporary world.

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Testing biodiversity theory using species richness of reef-building corals across a depth gradient

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2019.0493 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (10) ◽

pp. 20190493 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

T. Edward Roberts ◽

Sally A. Keith ◽

Carsten Rahbek ◽

Tom C. L. Bridge ◽

M. Julian Caley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Large Scale ◽

Coral Species ◽

Environmental Gradients ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Empirical Support ◽

Null Model ◽

Local Scale ◽

Small Scale ◽

Energy Availability

Natural environmental gradients encompass systematic variation in abiotic factors that can be exploited to test competing explanations of biodiversity patterns. The species–energy (SE) hypothesis attempts to explain species richness gradients as a function of energy availability. However, limited empirical support for SE is often attributed to idiosyncratic, local-scale processes distorting the underlying SE relationship. Meanwhile, studies are also often confounded by factors such as sampling biases, dispersal boundaries and unclear definitions of energy availability. Here, we used spatially structured observations of 8460 colonies of photo-symbiotic reef-building corals and a null-model to test whether energy can explain observed coral species richness over depth. Species richness was left-skewed, hump-shaped and unrelated to energy availability. While local-scale processes were evident, their influence on species richness was insufficient to reconcile observations with model predictions. Therefore, energy availability, either in isolation or in combination with local deterministic processes, was unable to explain coral species richness across depth. Our results demonstrate that local-scale processes do not necessarily explain deviations in species richness from theoretical models, and that the use of idiosyncratic small-scale factors to explain large-scale ecological patterns requires the utmost caution.

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Species richness and complementarity of beetle faunas in a mediterranean-type biodiversity hotspot

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-007-9202-6 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 16 (14) ◽

pp. 3993-4007 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Michael S. Caterino

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot

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Beefing Up Species Richness? The Effect of Land-Use on Mammal Diversity in an Arid Biodiversity Hotspot

African Journal of Wildlife Research ◽

10.3957/056.045.0321 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 321-331 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Gareth K.H. Mann ◽

Juliette V. Lagesse ◽

M. Justin O'Riain ◽

Dan M. Parker

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Species Richness ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Mammal Diversity

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Global pattern of phytoplankton diversity driven by temperature and environmental variability

Science Advances ◽

10.1126/sciadv.aau6253 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (5) ◽

pp. eaau6253 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Damiano Righetti ◽

Meike Vogt ◽

Nicolas Gruber ◽

Achilleas Psomas ◽

Niklaus E. Zimmermann

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Environmental Variability ◽

Species Turnover ◽

Marine Phytoplankton ◽

Marine Biodiversity ◽

Phytoplankton Species ◽

Global Pattern ◽

Phytoplankton Diversity ◽

Biogeographic Patterns ◽

Theoretical Predictions

Despite their importance to ocean productivity, global patterns of marine phytoplankton diversity remain poorly characterized. Although temperature is considered a key driver of general marine biodiversity, its specific role in phytoplankton diversity has remained unclear. We determined monthly phytoplankton species richness by using niche modeling and >540,000 global phytoplankton observations to predict biogeographic patterns of 536 phytoplankton species. Consistent with metabolic theory, phytoplankton richness in the tropics is about three times that in higher latitudes, with temperature being the most important driver. However, below 19°C, richness is lower than expected, with ~8°– 14°C waters (~35° to 60° latitude) showing the greatest divergence from theoretical predictions. Regions of reduced richness are characterized by maximal species turnover and environmental variability, suggesting that the latter reduces species richness directly, or through enhancing competitive exclusion. The nonmonotonic relationship between phytoplankton richness and temperature suggests unanticipated complexity in responses of marine biodiversity to ocean warming.

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The Coral Triangle Initiative: what are we missing? A case study from Aceh

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605312000178 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 482-485 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Edi Rudi ◽

Stuart J. Campbell ◽

Andrew S. Hoey ◽

Nur Fadli ◽

Matthew Linkie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Indian Ocean ◽

Western Indian Ocean ◽

Andaman Sea ◽

Marine Biodiversity ◽

Western Boundary ◽

Coral Triangle ◽

Coral Fauna ◽

High Conservation ◽

Reef Fauna

AbstractThe Coral Triangle Initiative is an ambitious attempt to conserve the marine biodiversity hotspot known as the Coral Triangle. However, the reef fauna in many nearby regions remains poorly explored and, consequently, the focus on the Coral Triangle risks overlooking other areas of high conservation significance. One region of potential significance, Aceh, Indonesia, has not been visited by coral taxonomists since the Dutch colonial period. Here we document the species richness of scleractinian corals of Pulau Weh, Aceh. We also compare the species richness of the genus Acropora at 3–5 sites in each of nine regions in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Although dominated by widespread Indo-Pacific species, the coral fauna of Pulau Weh is also the eastern and western boundary for many Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean species, respectively. We identified a total of 133 scleractinian species, of which three have been previously recorded only in the western Indian Ocean and five are presently undescribed. The mean species richness of the Acropora at Pulau Weh is similar to regions within the Coral Triangle. This high species richness plus the high proportion of endemics suggests that the Andaman Sea is of similarly high conservation value to the Coral Triangle. We suggest that an international initiative similar to the Coral Triangle Initiative is required to conserve this region, which includes the territorial waters of six countries.

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The mushroom coral as a habitat

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315411001445 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 92 (4) ◽

pp. 647-663 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Bert W. Hoeksema ◽

Sancia E.T. Van der Meij ◽

Charles H.J.M. Fransen

Keyword(s):

Coral Species ◽

Marine Biodiversity ◽

Coral Host ◽

Associated Fauna ◽

Reef Corals ◽

Symbiotic Relationships ◽

Mushroom Coral ◽

Endosymbiotic Algae ◽

Associated Species ◽

Shallow Seas

The evolution of symbiotic relationships involving reef corals has had much impact on tropical marine biodiversity. Because of their endosymbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) corals can grow fast in tropical shallow seas where they form reefs that supply food, substrate and shelter for other organisms. Many coral symbionts are host-specific, depending on particular coral species for their existence. Some of these animals have become popular objects for underwater photographers and aquarists, whereas others are hardly noticed or considered pests. Loss of a single coral host species also leads to the disappearance of some of its associated fauna. In the present study we show which mushroom corals (Scleractinia: Fungiidae) are known to act as hosts for other organisms, such as acoel flatworms, copepods, barnacles, gall crabs, pontoniine shrimps, mytilid bivalves, epitoniid snails, coralliophilid snails, fish and certain types of zooxanthellae. Several of these associated organisms appear to be host-specific whereas other species are generalists and not even necessarily restricted to fungiid hosts.Heliofungia actiniformisis one of the most hospitable coral species known with a recorded associated fauna consisting of at least 23 species. The availability of a phylogeny reconstruction of the Fungiidae enables comparisons of closely related species of mushroom corals regarding their associated fauna. Application of a phylogenetic ecological analysis indicates that the presence or absence of associated organisms is evolutionarily derived or habitat-induced. Some associations appear to be restricted to certain evolutionary lineages within the Fungiidae, whereas the absence of associated species may be determined by ecomorphological traits of the host corals, such as coral dimensions (coral diameter and thickness) and polyp shape (tentacle size).

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