Diversity and distribution of Laonice species (Annelida: Spionidae) in the tropical North Atlantic and Puerto Rico Trench.

ABSTRACT: Laonice Malmgren, 1867 (Annelida: Spionidae) is a common polychaete genus in the deep-sea. Although most species are quite well studied morphologically, fragmentation and other damage that occurs during sampling often hampers morphological species identification of deep-sea specimens. In this study, we employ three molecular markers (16S, COI and 18S) to study the biodiversity and the distribution patterns of Laonice from the tropical North Atlantic and the Puerto Rico Trench. Based upon different molecular analyses (Automated Barcode Gap Discovery, pairwise genetic distances, phylogenetics, haplotype networks) we were able to identify and differentiate eight Laonice species. Up to four of these species co-occurred sympatrically at the same station. The majority of species were found at mu

SUBMITTER: Guggolz T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6592887 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature