Four genes morphology and ecology distinguishing

Authors: Johanna Järnegren Christoffer Schander JonArne Sneli Vera Rønningen Craig M Young

Publish Date: 2007/04/18

Volume: 152, Issue: 1, Pages: 43-55

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Abstract

There is currently an active scientific debate about the most correct and efficient way to identify species To date few studies in the marine realm have combined the available taxonomic methods In this study we have used morphology ecology and molecular analyses to identify a new species within the bivalve genus Acesta All four genes studied 12S 16S Cytb COI suggested that a common coldseep species in the Gulf of Mexico A bullisi should be divided into two distinct species This conclusion was supported by morphological traits and by observations of ecological distribution A oophaga Järnegren Schander and Young n sp is described here and A bullisi Vokes Tulane Stud Geol 275–92 1963 is redescribed This study shows that DNA barcoding in combination with traditional morphological and ecological analyses may be an important tools to identify hidden biodiversity among deepwater organisms such as bivalvesWe thank the captains and crew of R/V Seward Johnson I and II Johnson SeaLink I and II R/V Harry Borthen I and R/V Hans Brattström Paula Mikkelsen American Museum of Natural History New York for providing us with tissue from Acesta columbiana Sandra Brooke and Tracy Smart for collection of Acesta bullisi Henrik Jensen Endre Willassen and Torkild Bakken are thanked for constructive comments on earlier versions of the MS The project was funded by grants from the Meltzer foundation University of Bergen and The Swedish Research Council to CS Norwegian University of Science and Technology and The Norwegian Research Council to JJ Grant OCE0118733 from the National Science Foundation and NOAA/NURP Wilmington the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration to CMY The experiments comply with the current laws of Norway and USA

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