Cryptic diversification, phenotypic plasticity, and host specialization in a sponge-dwelling goby

IF 2.7 2区生物学 Q1 MARINE & FRESHWATER BIOLOGY

Coral Reefs Pub Date : 2024-02-22 DOI:10.1007/s00338-024-02466-z

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Coral reefs harbor 30% of oceanic biodiversity, but many species remain undiscovered. Indeed, coral reef taxonomic inventories are heavily skewed toward large, conspicuous organisms, leaving numerous smaller, cryptic species undescribed. Cryptobenthic reef fishes, such as gobies, can speciate rapidly due to short lifespans and limited dispersal, and ecological specialization may facilitate their diversification. Here, we examine whether habitat specialization correlates with genetic and phenotypic divergence in Risor ruber, a sponge-dwelling goby distributed across the western Atlantic Ocean. By integrating phylogenetic evidence, morphometrics, and network analysis, we identify seven distinct genetic lineages within Risor and reveal concordant patterns of Risor–sponge specialization. Despite the absence of lineage-specific morphologies, morphological traits are associated with sponge hosts, indicating high phenotypic plasticity within lineages. Two Risor lineages specialize on a single host sponge across the Caribbean, while five lineages are generalists. Finally, high modularity across Risor–sponge networks provides further evidence that ecological specialization contributes to Risor diversification. Given the rapid changes in coral reef benthic communities, habitat specialists are more likely to lose their primary habitat and face extinction. Documenting and understanding genetic diversification is imperative, especially in understudied, vulnerable organisms such as cryptobenthic reef fishes.

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一种生活在海绵中的虾虎鱼的隐性多样化、表型可塑性和宿主专一性

摘要珊瑚礁蕴藏着 30% 的海洋生物多样性，但许多物种仍未被发现。事实上，珊瑚礁分类目录严重偏向于大型、显眼的生物，导致许多较小、隐蔽的物种未被描述。虾虎鱼等暗礁底栖鱼类由于寿命短、散布范围有限，可以迅速实现物种分化，而生态特化可能会促进它们的多样化。在这里，我们研究了栖息地特化是否与 Risor ruber 的遗传和表型分化相关，Risor ruber 是一种栖息于海绵的虾虎鱼，分布于大西洋西部。通过整合系统发生学证据、形态计量学和网络分析，我们在 Risor 中确定了七个不同的遗传系，并揭示了 Risor-海绵特化的一致模式。尽管没有特定品系的形态，但形态特征与海绵宿主相关，表明品系内具有高度的表型可塑性。在整个加勒比海地区，有两个笛鲷品系专攻一种寄主海绵，而有五个品系则是通才。最后，Risor-海绵网络的高度模块化进一步证明了生态特化有助于 Risor 的多样化。鉴于珊瑚礁底栖生物群落的快速变化，栖息地专家更有可能失去其主要栖息地并面临灭绝。记录和了解遗传多样性势在必行，尤其是对研究不足的脆弱生物（如隐底栖珊瑚礁鱼类）。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Coral Reefs 生物-海洋与淡水生物学

CiteScore

6.80

自引率

11.40%

发文量

111

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： Coral Reefs, the Journal of the International Coral Reef Society, presents multidisciplinary literature across the broad fields of reef studies, publishing analytical and theoretical papers on both modern and ancient reefs. These encourage the search for theories about reef structure and dynamics, and the use of experimentation, modeling, quantification and the applied sciences. Coverage includes such subject areas as population dynamics; community ecology of reef organisms; energy and nutrient flows; biogeochemical cycles; physiology of calcification; reef responses to natural and anthropogenic influences; stress markers in reef organisms; behavioural ecology; sedimentology; diagenesis; reef structure and morphology; evolutionary ecology of the reef biota; palaeoceanography of coral reefs and coral islands; reef management and its underlying disciplines; molecular biology and genetics of coral; aetiology of disease in reef-related organisms; reef responses to global change, and more.