High species diversity of the soft coral family Xeniidae (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea) in the temperate region of Japan revealed by morphological and molecular analyses.

ABSTRACT: The soft coral family Xeniidae, commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions, consists of 20 genera and 162 species. To date, few studies on this family have been conducted in Japan, especially at higher latitudes. Although molecular phylogenetic analyses have recently been used to distinguish soft coral species, it is difficult to identify species and genera in this family due to the limited taxonomic indices and high morphological variation. In this study, we found a large Xeniidae community off the coast of Oshima Island (31°31.35'N, 131°24.27'E) at Miyazaki, Kyushu Island, located in the temperate region of Japan. The species composition and molecular phylogenetic relationships were investigated to uncover the species diversity of Xeniidae in this community. A total of 182 xeniid

SUBMITTER: Koido T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6635379 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature