scholarly journals Evidence of cryptic species in the blenniid Cirripectes alboapicalis species complex, with zoogeographic implications for the South Pacific

ZooKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 810 ◽  
pp. 127-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erwan Delrieu-Trottin ◽  
Libby Liggins ◽  
Thomas Trnski ◽  
Jeffrey T. Williams ◽  
Valentina Neglia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cryptic Species ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Species Complex ◽  
Genetic Relationships ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
The South ◽  
Rapa Nui ◽  
Distribution Ranges ◽  
Geographic Distributions

Rapa Nui, commonly known as Easter Island (Chile), is one of the most isolated tropical islands of the Pacific Ocean. The island location of Rapa Nui makes it the easternmost point of the geographic ranges for many western Pacific fish species that are restricted to the subtropical islands south of 20°S latitude. The blenniid fish speciesCirripectesalboapicalishas been thought to have one of the most extensive geographic distribution ranges among these southern subtropical fish species, extending from the southern Great Barrier Reef to Rapa Nui. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted to determine the taxonomic status of the species. The results provide genetic evidence that suggests that this formerly South Pacific-wide species comprises at least three cryptic species with allopatric geographic distributions. The analyses reveal the geographic distributions of these clades and their genetic relationships with each other, and with other species within the genusCirripectes. The processes that culminated in the current geographic distribution of this species complex and the zoogeographic implications of this finding for the South Pacific region are discussed.

Daily accumulation rates of marine litter on the shores of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the South Pacific Ocean

2021 ◽  
Vol 169 ◽  
pp. 112535
Author(s):  
Martin Thiel ◽  
Bárbara Barrera Lorca ◽  
Luis Bravo ◽  
Iván A. Hinojosa ◽  
Hugo Zeballos Meneses
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Easter Island ◽  
Accumulation Rates ◽  
The South ◽  
Rapa Nui ◽  
Marine Litter ◽  
South Pacific Ocean

Travelling light: Fouling biota on macroplastics arriving on beaches of remote Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the South Pacific Subtropical Gyre

2018 ◽  
Vol 137 ◽  
pp. 119-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Rech ◽  
Martin Thiel ◽  
Yaisel J. Borrell Pichs ◽  
Eva García-Vazquez
Keyword(s):  
South Pacific ◽  
Easter Island ◽  
Subtropical Gyre ◽  
The South ◽  
Rapa Nui

scholarly journals Molecular phylogeography reveals multiple Pleistocene divergence events in estuarine crabs from the tropical West Pacific

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0262122
Author(s):  
Adnan Shahdadi ◽  
Katharina von Wyschetzki ◽  
Hung-Chang Liu ◽  
Ka Hou Chu ◽  
Christoph D. Schubart
Keyword(s):  
Cryptic Species ◽  
Species Complex ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Genetic Structure Of Populations ◽  
Coastal Species ◽  
Distribution Ranges

Due to the lack of visible barriers to gene flow, it was a long-standing assumption that marine coastal species are widely distributed, until molecular studies revealed geographically structured intraspecific genetic differentiation in many taxa. Historical events of sea level changes during glacial periods are known to have triggered sequential disjunctions and genetic divergences among populations, especially of coastal organisms. The Parasesarma bidens species complex so far includes three named plus potentially cryptic species of estuarine brachyuran crabs, distributed along East to Southeast Asia. The aim of the present study is to address phylogeography and uncover real and hidden biological diversity within this complex, by revealing the underlying genetic structure of populations and species throughout their distribution ranges from Japan to West Papua, with a comparison of mitochondrial COX1 and 16S rRNA gene sequences. Our results reveal that the P. bidens species complex consists of at least five distinct clades, resulting from four main cladogenesis events during the mid to late Pleistocene. Among those clades, P. cricotum and P. sanguimanus are recovered as monophyletic taxa. Geographically restricted endemic clades are encountered in southeastern Indonesia, Japan and China respectively, whereas the Philippines and Taiwan share two clades. As individuals of the Japanese clade can also be found in Taiwan, we provide evidence of a third lineage and the occurrence of a potential cryptic species on this island. Ocean level retreats during Pleistocene ice ages and present oceanic currents appear to be the main triggers for the divergences of the five clades that are here addressed as the P. bidens complex. Secondary range expansions converted Taiwan into the point of maximal overlap, sharing populations with Japan and the Philippines, but not with mainland China.

scholarly journals Morphological and genetic divergence supports peripheral endemism and a recent evolutionary history of Chrysiptera demoiselles in the subtropical South Pacific

Coral Reefs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Libby Liggins ◽  
Liam Kilduff ◽  
Thomas Trnski ◽  
Erwan Delrieu-Trottin ◽  
Jose I. Carvajal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Pacific ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
Western Pacific ◽  
Disjunct Distribution ◽  
Evolutionary Relationships ◽  
The South ◽  
Rapa Nui ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Disjunct Populations ◽  
History Of

AbstractThe delineation of species and their evolutionary relationships informs our understanding of biogeography and how regional faunas are assembled. The peripheral geography and local environment of reefs in the subtropical South Pacific likely promotes the allopatric and adaptive divergence of taxa colonising from the tropics; however, the fauna of this region has been relatively understudied. Here, we address the taxonomic and evolutionary relationships among Chrysiptera taxa of the subtropical South Pacific. We use meristic counts, morphometrics and genetic markers to characterise the similarities and differences among four taxa restricted to the South Pacific region that have strikingly different colouration: C. notialis, a taxon restricted to eastern Australia, New Caledonia, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island; C. galba, found in the Cook Islands, southern French Polynesia and Pitcairn Islands; and the two disjunct populations of C. rapanui, found in the eastern Pacific around Rapa Nui (Isla de Pascua or Easter Island) and Motu Motiro Hiva (Salas y Gómez) and in the South-western Pacific around Rangitāhua (Kermadec Islands). Our morphometric analysis confirmed that these four taxa, including the two disjunct populations of C. rapanui, are morphologically distinct. However, our genetic analysis revealed that only C. rapanui from Rapa Nui was genetically differentiated, whereas C. rapanui of Rangitāhua, C. galba and C. notialis all shared a common haplotype. Furthermore, none of the taxa could be consistently differentiated based on individual meristic features. Our study reconciles a formerly perplexing and disjunct distribution for C. rapanui, to reveal that C. rapanui is an endemic of Rapa Nui and that the Chrysiptera of French Polynesia, Rangitāhua, and the South-western Pacific have only a very recent history of divergence. Our analyses suggest these subtropical taxa have diverged from a predominantly tropical Chrysiptera genus in morphological features important in determining colonisation success, locomotion and feeding ecology.

Hidden conservation vulnerability within a cryptic species complex: taxonomic revision of the spotted skink (Oligosoma lineoocellatum; Reptilia: Scincidae) from New Zealand

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4300 (3) ◽  
pp. 355 ◽  
Author(s):  
SABINE MELZER ◽  
TRENT BELL ◽  
GEOFF B. PATTERSON
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Cryptic Species ◽  
Species Complex ◽  
Taxonomic Revision ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
The South ◽  
The North ◽  
Northern Half ◽  
Cryptic Species Complex ◽  
Single Genus

The diverse skink fauna of New Zealand comprises 40 described species within the single genus Oligosoma Girard, 1857. Cryptic species are common among New Zealand skinks, leaving numerous species undescribed. We used molecular phylogeny together with morphological analyses to distinguish four species in the spotted skink, Oligosoma lineoocellatum (Duméril & Duméril 1851), species complex. These are O. lineoocellatum sensu stricto, which is confined to the centre of the South Island, O. prasinum sp. nov. from the Lake Tekapo region, O. elium sp. nov. from the northern half of the South Island, and O. kokowai sp. nov. from the northern South Island, Cook Strait, and the North Island. Despite significant genetic differences, the morphological similarity of these species made it challenging to resolve their taxonomic identity. Three of the four species previously recognised as a single, widespread taxon are now recognised as threatened with extinction by a combination of invasive predatory mammals and land use change. 

Culture and leadership: Project GLOBE in the South Pacific

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony R. Paquin ◽  
Reinout E. de Vries ◽  
Raghuvar D. Pathak ◽  
Rafia Naz
Keyword(s):  
South Pacific ◽  
The South

Tourism Development in the South Pacific: The Cases of Nauru and Tuvalu

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Towner ◽  
Semisi Taumoepeau
Keyword(s):  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Tourism Development ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
The South ◽  
South Pacific Ocean ◽  
Economic Survival ◽  
Processing Centre ◽  
Remote Island ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Tuvalu and Nauru are isolated developing island nations located in the South Pacific Ocean. In contrast to the established larger Pacific destinations such as Fiji and Tahiti, the tourism industries on both Tuvalu and Nauru are in their infancy. Tourism development in these remote island nations faces a myriad of challenges which include a lack of infrastructure, environmental susceptibility, economic vulnerability, difficulties with access and considerable distances from major tourist markets. This paper reviews tourism on Tuvalu and Nauru and evaluates their current situation regarding potential tourism development through workshops with relevant stakeholders, surveys and subsequent SWOT analysis. The results of the paper outlined a large number of challenges faced by Tuvalu and Nauru due to their geographic location but also highlighted that both Islands possess fascinating and unique features that have the potential to attract niche tourism markets. A key finding of this paper is that the tourism stimulus or potential attraction can also be the chief threat to the islands’ economic survival hence the two edges of the sword. Further research is required to assess the effect of the withdrawal of the Refugee Processing Centre on Nauru’s economy and to evaluate the impact of climate change on Tuvalu’s society and potential adaption strategies.

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