Gene flow with the help of sea turtles: phylogeography of the epibiont barnacle Chelonibia testudinaria (Linnaeus, 1758) (Crustacea: Cirripedia: Chelonibiidae) from the Persian Gulf

Chelonibia testudinaria (Linnaeus, 1758) is a globally distributed epibiont barnacle using different hosts, including sea turtles and portunid crabs. Previous phylogenetic analyses have recovered three distinct clades for this species corresponding to the Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, and Indo-West Pacific regions. The present study of the genetic diversity of this species in the Persian Gulf (northwestern Indian Ocean) using the COX1 mitochondrial marker estimates the genetic connectivity of the barnacle between the Persian Gulf and two western Pacific regions. No significant genetic differentiation is evident between the Persian Gulf and the western Pacific, but the moderate level of genetic connectivity found between these areas across the Indian Ocean is likely mediated by migratory sea turtles. Based on the present analysis, the Persian Gulf displays a lower genetic diversity than the diversity of the western Pacific populations but shares some haplotypes with the latter.