Phylogeography of the crown-of-thorns starfish in the Indian Ocean.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Understanding the limits and population dynamics of closely related sibling species in the marine realm is particularly relevant in organisms that require management. The crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci, recently shown to be a species complex of at least four closely related species, is a coral predator infamous for its outbreaks that have devastated reefs throughout much of its Indo-Pacific distribution.

Methodology/principal findings

In this first Indian Ocean-wide genetic study of a marine organism we investigated the genetic structure and inferred the paleohistory of the two Indian Ocean sister-species of Acanthaster planci using mitochondrial DNA sequence analyses. We suggest that the first of two main diversification events led to the formation o

SUBMITTER: Vogler C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3424128 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature