New insights into the diversity of cryptobenthic Cirripectes blennies in the Mascarene Archipelago sampled using Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS).

ABSTRACT: Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) are artificial mini-reefs designed for standardized sampling of sessile and small motile cryptobenthic organisms. ARMS are also effective for collecting small cryptobenthic fishes, such as the combtooth blennies of the genus Cirripectes. Recent studies discovered several Cirripectes species endemic to islands or archipelagos, in spite of the generally broad distributions of tropical and subtropical blennies. Thus, to evaluate the diversity and distribution of Cirripectes species in the Mascarene Archipelago, a little-studied region but an important biodiversity hotspot, complete mitochondrial genomes, and nuclear rhodopsin genes were sequenced for 39 specimens collected with ARMS deployed on outer reef slopes at Reunion and

SUBMITTER: Couedel M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10019914 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature