Sea-land transitions in isopods: pattern of symbiont distribution in two species of intertidal isopods Ligia pallasii and Ligia occidentalis in the Eastern Pacific.

ABSTRACT: Studies of microbial associations of intertidal isopods in the primitive genus Ligia (Oniscidea, Isopoda) can help our understanding of the formation of symbioses during sea-land transitions, as terrestrial Oniscidean isopods have previously been found to house symbionts in their hepatopancreas. Ligia pallasii and Ligia occidentalis co-occur in the high intertidal zone along the Eastern Pacific with a large zone of range overlap and both species showing patchy distributions. In 16S rRNA clone libraries mycoplasma-like bacteria (Firmicutes), related to symbionts described from terrestrial isopods, were the most common bacteria present in both host species. There was greater overall microbial diversity in Ligia pallasii compared with L. occidentalis. Populations of both Ligia species along a

SUBMITTER: Eberl R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2918799 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature