Marine Ecology-An Evolutionary Perspective最新文献

{"title":"Depth-Related Variability in the Microbiome and Zooxanthellae Community Composition of the Caribbean Sheet Coral Agaricia lamarcki in Southwest Puerto Rico","authors":"Alejandro Gonzalez Montes,&nbsp;Ernesto Weil,&nbsp;Nikolaos V. Schizas","doi":"10.1111/maec.70089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.70089","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The endosymbiotic communities of corals are major contributors to the evolutionary success of scleractinian corals as the main reef-building organisms in modern coral reefs. The most studied endosymbiotic taxa associated with scleractinian corals are dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae (previously the genus <i>Symbiodinium</i>), but corals are truly holobionts with a myriad of other microorganisms living together in what is known as the coral microbiome. The goal of this research was to characterize the genetic variability of the microbiome (based on 16S rRNA) and Symbiodiniaceae (based on ITS2) associated with the eurybathic Caribbean sheet coral <i>Agaricia lamarcki</i> along a depth gradient. This plating-crustose coral is found along a wide depth distribution from shallow coastal reefs at approximately 10 m down to mesophotic depths at &gt; 75 m in southwest Puerto Rico. Environmental conditions vary across this gradient, leading us to expect significant differences in zooxanthellae clades and microbiome community composition. We collected fragments of 36 <i>A. lamarcki</i> colonies along a shallow-mesophotic depth gradient from 20 to 70 m at Black Wall in southwest Puerto Rico. PCR and Next-generation sequencing targeting 16S rRNA and ITS2 genes were performed on DNA extracted from coral biomass containing coral tissue and surface mucus layer. Despite no differences in alpha-diversity/richness metrics, our study found significant differences in coral-associated bacterial community composition between shallower reefs (20–30 m) and mesophotic reefs (50–70 m). Contrastingly, we found no significant differences in the Symbiodiniaceae composition of <i>A. lamarcki</i> across the depth gradient, indicating a uniform algal endosymbiont community in this location. Given the increasing loss of shallow water coral reefs, understanding coral adaptation mechanisms to mesophotic environmental conditions becomes ever more important to establish proper management and conservation efforts.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49883,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology-An Evolutionary Perspective","volume":"47 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147683225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecological Drivers of Kinorhynch Diversity in the Southern Gulf of Mexico","authors":"Lucía Álvarez-Castillo,&nbsp;Adolfo Gracia,&nbsp;Axayácatl Rocha-Olivares,&nbsp;Gerardo Rivas","doi":"10.1111/maec.70087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.70087","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Meiofaunal studies in both shelf and deep-water benthic habitats of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) have increased notably over the last decade, including research focused on specific taxa such as kinorhynchs. In this study, a grid of 63 sampling sites was sampled, covering depths from 49.7 to 3708 m and encompassing most of the southwestern GOM, to study the factors influencing meiofaunal distribution, which is fundamental to understanding marine ecosystem structure. We analyzed the diversity patterns of kinorhynchs in the southern Gulf of Mexico (sGOM) with two main objectives: (1) to describe the diversity of kinorhynchs collected from shallow to deep stations, and (2) to assess the effects of environmental variables on kinorhynch species richness and taxonomic composition. A total of 54 kinorhynchs were collected from 36 sites, representing 14 taxa distributed in one class: Cyclorhagida and three orders Kentrorhagata, Echinorhagata and Xenosomata. Order Echinorhagata was the most diverse and abundant, represented by the genera <i>Echinoderes</i> and <i>Fissuroderes</i>. Followed by order Kentrorhagata with genera <i>Antygomonas, Centroderes</i>, and <i>Sphenoderes</i>. Ecological analyses indicated a pattern toward a linking depth and granulometry with the structure of kinorhynch assemblages across the southern Gulf of Mexico.</p>","PeriodicalId":49883,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology-An Evolutionary Perspective","volume":"47 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/maec.70087","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147683227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recent Emergence and Distributional Expansion of the Parasitic Copepod Lernaeenicus cf. ramosus in Japanese Waters Revealed by Web Image Surveys","authors":"Ryota Hasegawa","doi":"10.1111/maec.70086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.70086","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Emerging infectious diseases are novel threats to marine ecosystems. Although elucidating the temporal and spatial dynamics of such diseases is critical for managing ecosystems, it is generally challenging because many are invisible and cryptic, making it difficult to conduct long-term surveys at large spatial scales. Here, by analyzing web images on the social network platform X (formerly Twitter), I examined the infection dynamics of the parasitic copepod <i>Lernaeenicus</i> cf. <i>ramosus</i>, which causes pathological impacts on economically important marine fishes. Although previous studies indicated that infections increased after the 2000s in Japanese waters, there is no long-term data. Based on 3390 posts containing images of two host fish species (yellow grouper <i>Epinephelus awoara</i> and grub fish <i>Parapercis sexfasciata</i>) posted from 2012 to 2024, I found the copepods emerged and increased substantially around 2016–2019 in grub fish but declined in yellow grouper. Infection levels tended to be higher in autumn and winter, and methods of fish collection influenced the detectability of parasites. Moreover, I also identified new localities of the copepods, which fall outside of their previously known range, suggesting that their distribution is rapidly expanding north (east) ward. My study showed that analyzing web images sheds important insights into how aquatic diseases emerge and spread.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49883,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology-An Evolutionary Perspective","volume":"47 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147683226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effects of Different Light Spectra, UV and Extreme Temperature on the Physiology of Endosymbiotic Jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda","authors":"Andreas Kunzmann,&nbsp;Holger Kühnhold,&nbsp;Pradipta Das,&nbsp;Jasmin Tesani,&nbsp;Karin Springer","doi":"10.1111/maec.70084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.70084","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The endosymbiotic jellyfish <i>Cassiopea andromeda</i> represents a yet untapped marine species that could be targeted as a new source for bioproducts, including food and feed. Also, the potential use of contained valuable ingredients, such as carotenoids and other antioxidants, under controlled aquaculture conditions might be a particularly promising pathway. However, this requires close knowledge about physiology and culture conditions. In this study, the effects of different stress parameters such as different light spectra, light intensities, UV and extreme temperatures on <i>C. andromeda</i> were investigated. The following response parameters were measured: pigments, photosynthetic efficiency, bell pulsation rate, antioxidant activity (AOA) and respiration. The carotenoid peridinin and chlorophyll <i>a</i> were detected as dominant light-harvesting pigments. Three different experiments were performed. Over a four week treatment interval under four different light conditions, <i>C. andromeda</i> that were exposed to light spectra lacking blue color (<i>λ</i> = 400–500 nm) showed a decreasing content of chlorophyll, peridinin and all other detected pigments, while photosynthetic efficiency and AOA were not affected by any light spectra changes. Critical thresholds for both photosynthetic efficiency and respiration were detected beyond 39°C. UV seemed to have a similar effect on respiration as low temperatures, while UV did not seem to significantly affect bell pulsation rate and symbiont density. This study contributes to the development of an environmentally controlled <i>C. andromeda</i> indoor aquaculture system, revealing optimal temperature and light regimes. Accordingly, <i>C. andromeda</i> holds promise as a resource for pigment production that may offer value as a supplement for functional foods and nutraceuticals.</p>","PeriodicalId":49883,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology-An Evolutionary Perspective","volume":"47 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/maec.70084","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecology and Reproduction of Bunodeopsis in Tropical Northwestern Atlantic Seagrass Ecosystems","authors":"Isabel A. M. Pen,&nbsp;Luisa F. Dueñas,&nbsp;Juan Armando Sánchez,&nbsp;Diana Carolina Vergara-Flórez,&nbsp;Carlos E. Gómez,&nbsp;Vladimir Tovar-Bolaños,&nbsp;Juan Andrés Palacios,&nbsp;Jorge A. Moreno,&nbsp;Marina I. Stoilova,&nbsp;Carly Lo,&nbsp;Carson Kephart,&nbsp;Amber Fredenburg,&nbsp;Ricardo González Muñoz,&nbsp;Nuno Simões,&nbsp;José M. Lizaola-Guillermo,&nbsp;Marymegan Daly","doi":"10.1111/maec.70081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.70081","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The seagrass ecosystems of the Tropical Northwestern Atlantic (TNA) host three described species of sea anemones in the genus <i>Bunodeopsis</i> Andres, 1881 (Enthemonae: Metridioidea: Acuticulata): <i>B. antilliensis</i>, <i>B. globulifera</i>, and <i>B. pelagica</i>. Due to their small size and nocturnal nature, many aspects of their basic biology and distribution remain unknown. To investigate their ecology and distribution, we surveyed five TNA ecoregions: Greater Antilles (Puerto Rico), Southern Caribbean (Curaçao), Southwestern Caribbean (Colombia and Panama), Western Caribbean (Belize and Mexico), and the Southern Gulf of Mexico (Mexico). Specimens were identified to genus, documented in situ and captively maintained for behavioral observations. Field methods combined nighttime snorkel observations and collection with macro and timelapse photography to document behavior, morphology, and asexual reproduction. We observed extensive morphological variation and presumably clonal aggregations in situ. Captive observations corroborated previously reported modes of asexual reproduction including pedal and vesicular scission, as well as revealed the previously unreported mode of transverse fission. Field observations revealed novel ecological interactions including predation on amphinomid polychaetes, association with the sacoglossan <i>Elysia crispata</i>, and predation by a reptantian ribbonworm (Nemertea: Reptantia). In Belize, standardized diurnal and nocturnal quadrat surveys at fixed distances from shore quantified <i>Bunodeopsis</i> spp. detectability, which was significantly greater at night regardless of observation depth. Nighttime detectability was approximately three times higher than during the day, supporting the conclusion that the lack of an abundance of reports of <i>Bunodeopsis</i> spp. is likely an artifact of underdetection than true rarity. The new occurrences reported here more than double previous records on GBIF, contributing resolution to the distribution of <i>Bunodeopsis</i> spp. Across five ecoregions in the TNA. These findings underscore the ecological importance of this genus of sea anemones in seagrass ecosystems and emphasize the need for surveys that target small, nocturnal, and understudied marine invertebrates.</p>","PeriodicalId":49883,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology-An Evolutionary Perspective","volume":"47 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/maec.70081","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Population Structure and Reproductive Biology of the Bait Worm Sipunculus cf. nudus in Northeastern Brazil","authors":"Erika Catugy,&nbsp;Gisele Y. Kawauchi,&nbsp;Deisiane Oliveira,&nbsp;Gabriel Barros Gonçalves de Souza,&nbsp;Wagner F. Magalhães","doi":"10.1111/maec.70083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.70083","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Sipunculans are unsegmented marine annelids distributed from intertidal to deep sediments, playing important roles in nutrient cycling and ecosystem health. The <i>Sipunculus nudus</i> species complex is exploited as food and bait in several regions, yet reproductive data at the population level remain scarce, especially for Atlantic populations. Understanding morphological correlates of body size and reproduction is essential for sustainable management. Over 17 months, 434 individuals of S. cf. nudus were collected monthly from intertidal sediments in Salvador, Brazil. External (total length, posterior length, width) and internal (number of longitudinal muscle bands, nephridia length, intestinal coils) measurements were taken. Coelomic fluid was examined to determine sex and gamete maturity, and oocytes and spermatocyte clusters were staged and measured. Population structure was analyzed using correlation analyses, DistLM, and dbRDA; reproductive investment via generalized linear models; and sex ratios by chi-square tests. Environmental data (temperature, salinity, tide, rainfall) were included in redundancy analyses. Posterior length strongly correlated with total length and was identified as a reliable size proxy, while nephridial length distinguished mature from immature individuals. The population showed a near 1:1 sex ratio, with males producing larger spermatocyte clusters relative to size, while female oocyte diameter was size-independent. Gametes at multiple maturation stages occurred year-round, indicating continuous reproduction unaffected by environmental variation. These findings reveal morphological indicators of reproductive status and suggest stable, size-dependent reproductive strategies that may enhance population resilience under harvesting pressure. The study provides key baseline data for managing exploited <i>Sipunculus</i> populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":49883,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology-An Evolutionary Perspective","volume":"47 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/maec.70083","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147564994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-Term Habitat Use Patterns of Ray Assemblages in Coastal and Inshore Waters of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico","authors":"Julian R. Gatch,&nbsp;Matthew E. Kimball,&nbsp;Robert P. Dunn,&nbsp;Alan Moore,&nbsp;Lina Vanesa Garzón-Peña,&nbsp;Angelica Barrera-García","doi":"10.1111/maec.70082","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.70082","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Rays are common marine mesopredators that use coastal and estuarine habitats during multiple life history stages for critical functions. They are long-lived, late to mature, and have low reproductive output, making them vulnerable to and slow to recover from population threats such as overfishing and habitat loss. Considering this, examining ray abundance, assemblage structure and distribution, as well as identifying ray habitat use patterns, especially over long time periods, is important. Fishery-independent sampling (tangle nets, bottom longlines, and rod and reel) was used to examine ray species composition, distribution, and abundance in St. Joseph Sound over a 10-year period. Six different ray species were caught, with three species making up 93.5% of the catch: southern stingray (<i>Hypanus americanus</i>), cownose ray (<i>Rhinoptera</i> sp.), and bluntnose stingray (<i>Hypanus say</i>). Ray abundance and assemblage composition varied across the study area, potentially due to differences in abiotic or biotic conditions. Analyses revealed that this area is used by multiple ray species for multiple life history functions, including use by cownose rays as a pupping area. This study represents the first in-depth analysis of the batoid community in St. Joseph Sound, and collectively, the results suggest that the study area serves as important habitat supporting ray communities in the coastal and inshore waters of the eastern Gulf of Mexico.</p>","PeriodicalId":49883,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology-An Evolutionary Perspective","volume":"47 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/maec.70082","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147563327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early Warning of Critical Transition in the East Venezuelan Sardine Habitat","authors":"Alimar Molero-Lizarraga,&nbsp;Meimalin Moreno-Villalobos,&nbsp;Jorge Payán-Alejo,&nbsp;Carlos Méndez-Vallejo","doi":"10.1111/maec.70080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.70080","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Global climate forcing and anthropogenic pressures are increasingly destabilizing marine ecosystems, pushing high-productivity upwelling zones toward unpredictable ecological tipping points. In the southeastern Caribbean, the eastern Venezuelan coastal region supports one of the world's most significant fisheries for the sardine <i>Sardinella aurita</i>, a species whose population stability is governed by a narrow thermal window (18°C–25°C). Utilizing two decades (2002–2023) of high-resolution MODIS-Aqua satellite data, we applied an early warning signal (EWS) framework based on critical slowing down (CSD) theory to diagnose the loss of resilience in this vital habitat. By contrasting the coastal sardine fishing area (SFA) with the offshore exclusive economic zone (EEZ), we analyzed temporal trends in sea surface temperature (SST) variance (standard deviation) and temporal autocorrelation (AR(1)). Our results reveal a significant divergence in thermal stability: while minimum and mean SSTs show increasing persistence (AR(1)), signaling a classic loss of resilience, the maximum SST in the coastal domain exhibits a sharp increase in volatility (SD) and erratic behavior. These “anti-CSD” signals in maximum SST indicate that extreme thermal events, such as marine heatwaves, are becoming more frequent and intense, frequently trespassing the physiological thresholds of <i>S. aurita</i>. By prioritizing physics-based indicators of habitat stability over confounded fishery-dependent data, this study demonstrates that the coastal sardine habitat is approaching a nonlinear regime shift. These findings provide a robust, proactive diagnostic tool for fisheries management, offering a critical lead time for adaptive strategies before biological collapses become statistically detectable.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49883,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology-An Evolutionary Perspective","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147568242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Population Structure and Reproductive Traits of the Porcelain Crab Petrolisthes rufescens (Heller 1861) From Saurashtra Coast, Gujarat State, India","authors":"Heris Patel,&nbsp;Krupal Patel,&nbsp;Jigneshkumar N. Trivedi","doi":"10.1111/maec.70079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.70079","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The current study examines the population structure and reproductive traits of the porcelain crab <i>Petrolisthes rufescens</i> (Heller 1861) among the samples collected from the rocky intertidal region of Shivrajpur village, located on the Saurashtra coast of Gujarat. Understanding the population ecology of this species is crucial for its significant role in ecological processes, such as nutrient cycling, and its potential susceptibility to environmental stressors. Specimens were collected over 12 consecutive months (March 2019–February 2020) from a 500 m² area during low tide using the hand-picking method. A total of 1191 individuals were collected, comprising 552 males, 475 non-ovigerous females, and 164 ovigerous females. Adult male individuals were significantly larger than adult non-ovigerous females, with an average carapace length of 9.28 ± 1.32 mm compared to 8.56 ± 1.12 mm in females. The overall and monthly sex ratios were slightly female-biased (1:1.2). The size-frequency distribution in both males and females showed an apparent bimodal pattern. Ovigerous females were present year-round, suggesting that reproduction occurs on a continuous basis. However, a relatively higher proportion of ovigerous females were observed during March–May and August–October at the Shivrajpur coast over the study period. Reproductive biology was assessed by examining egg characteristics, including total number, size, weight, and alongside the carapace length of ovigerous females. A significant positive correlation was found between the size of ovigerous females and their reproductive output, including total egg count (197 ± 87.53), egg mass weight (10.78 ± 8.26 mg), and egg size (0.59 ± 0.09 mm). This study provides baseline data for future research on the species' response to environmental changes and the increasing anthropogenic pressures affecting coastal ecosystems.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49883,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology-An Evolutionary Perspective","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146217154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hierarchical Genetic Differentiation and Population Structure in the Semiterrestrial Crab Armases Rubripes (Brachyura, Sesarmidae)","authors":"Carolina de Lima Adam,&nbsp;Nicolas Thiercelin,&nbsp;Lena Wawrschin,&nbsp;Setuko Masunari,&nbsp;Christoph D. Schubart,&nbsp;Murilo Zanetti Marochi","doi":"10.1111/maec.70078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.70078","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Estuaries play a crucial role in maintaining marine biodiversity and providing key ecosystem services, but they are increasingly impacted by local anthropization and global climate change. Developing effective management strategies requires a deep understanding of the genetic structure and diversity of marine species, including how their populations are connected across their distributional range. Here, we used cytochrome oxidase 1 (COI) data to test the hypothesis of significant genetic structuring in the semiterrestrial crab <i>Armases rubripes</i> along its distribution, from the Caribbean to the Western South Atlantic coastline. Patterns of genetic diversity, population structure, and demographic history were assessed, and phylogenetic analysis was performed. Our results support this hypothesis, revealing a potential cryptic species complex, with species-level divergence between the Caribbean and Brazilian regions. These two regions exhibit exclusive haplotypes, with up to 16 mutational steps between them, and were recovered as well-supported clades in our phylogenetic reconstructions and high genetic distances that are consistent with interspecific differentiation. We also uncovered unexpected genetic structure within the Brazilian coast, revealing distinct South and North groups among our sampling sites. The analysis of historical demography suggests that Caribbean clade remained stable over time, while Brazilian South group showed signs of recent demographic expansion. Overall, our results suggest that <i>A. rubripes</i> is likely a species complex, with Caribbean and Brazil representing separate evolving lineages.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49883,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology-An Evolutionary Perspective","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146154662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}