A remarkable diversity of bone-eating worms (Osedax; Siboglinidae; Annelida).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Bone-eating Osedax worms have proved to be surprisingly diverse and widespread. Including the initial description of this genus in 2004, five species that live at depths between 25 and 3,000 m in the eastern and western Pacific and in the north Atlantic have been named to date. Here, we provide molecular and morphological evidence for 12 additional evolutionary lineages from Monterey Bay, California. To assess their phylogenetic relationships and possible status as new undescribed species, we examined DNA sequences from two mitochondrial (COI and 16S rRNA) and three nuclear genes (H3, 18S and 28S rRNA).

Results

Phylogenetic analyses identified 17 distinct evolutionary lineages. Levels of sequence divergence among the undescribed lineages were similar to those foun

SUBMITTER: Vrijenhoek RC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2780999 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature