Gene rearrangement and sequence analysis of mitogenomes suggest polyphyly of Archaeobalanid and Balanid barnacles (Cirripedia: Balanomorpha)

Abstract

2017). Gene rearrangement and sequence analysis of mitogenomes suggest polyphyly of Archaeobalanid and Balanid barnacles (Cirripedia: Balanomorpha). -Zoologica Scripta, 46, 729-739.The acorn barnacles (Cirripedia, Thoracica, Balanomorpha) are a diverse group of crustaceans found in virtually all marine and estuarine habitats. Barnacles are important model species in various biological researches, including evolution, intertidal ecology, larval biology and antifouling. However, there remains a lack of a thorough understanding of the phylogeny for this group of animals, particularly at higher taxonomic levels. In this study, we attempt to determine the phylogenetic relationships among balanomorphan families based on analysis of complete mitochondrial genome from various barnacle families and investigate the evolution of mitogenome in barnacles. Whole mitogenomes of six barnacles were newly sequenced, including Acasta sulcata (Archaeobalanidae), Armatobalanus allium (Archaeobalanidae), Chelonibia testudinaria (Chelonibiidae), Octomeris sp. (Chthamalidae), Savignium biporata (Pyrgomatidae) and Tetraclitella divisa (Tetraclitidae), which exhibit five different gene arrangements. Phylogenetic analysis on 15 complete mitochondrial genome sequences from major barnacle families supported Chthamalidae, Pyrgomatidae and Tetraclitidae formed monophyletic units, but suggested polyphyly of both Archaeobalanidae and Balanidae. Chthamalidae was the earliest diverged lineage in Balanomorpha. Chelonibiidae + Tetraclitidae formed the sister taxon to the monophyletic superfamily Balanoidea (Archaeobalanidae + Balanidae + Pyrgomatidae). The members of Archaeobalanidae and Balanidae intermingled in the inferred topology with the monophyletic Pyrgomatidae deeply nested within. Two Megabalanus species from the family Balanidae and A. sulcata from the family Archaeobalanidae share the same six-gene-cluster inversion as compared to the other ten balanomorphan barnacles, providing further evidence for the non-monophyly for the two families. We showed here that the informativeness of the complete mitogenome sequence and rare genomic events in resolving various questions concerning Balanomorpha relationships. The non-monophyletic status of Archaeobalanidae and Balanidae falsified many previous hypotheses concerning the complex evolution of Balanomorpha and call for further investigations and careful revision on the taxonomy of the group. Future study focusing on the enigmatic and tentatively basal lineages, for example, Chionelasmatoidea Pachylasmatoidea and Catophragmidae, would be most helpful in fully resolving the phylogeny and mitogenome evolutionary history of acorn barnacles.

The first mitochondrial genome of Fistulobalanus albicostatus (Crustacea: Maxillopoda: Sessilia) and phylogenetic consideration within the superfamily Balanoidea

“…The results supposed that Balanidae and Archaeobalanidae are non-monophyly, which is consistent with previous researches (Tsang et al. 2014 , 2017 ; Shen et al. 2015 ).…”

The mitochondrial genome of Chthamalus malayensis (Sessilia: Chthamalidae) and its molecular phylogeny within Cirripedia

“…Gene arrangements can help to better understand the phylogenetic relationships among Cirripedia species (Tsang et al 2017). In comparison to the pancrustacean ground pattern, the mitochondrial genome of C. malayensis exhibits massive gene rearrangements (Supplementary Figure S1).…”

Mitochondrial genome of the acorn barnacle Tetraclita rufotincta Pilsbry, 1916: highly conserved gene order in Tetraclitidae

“…Compared with the pancrustacean ground pattern, the four species from Tetraclitidae share three large conserved gene blocks (trnM-nd2-trnW-cox1-trnL 2 -cox2-trnD-atp8-atp6-cox3-trnG-nd3-trnR-trnN-trnA-trnE-trnS 1 , trnT-nd6-cob-trnS 2 , and nd1-trnL 1 -lrRNA-trnV-srRNA) (genes encoded on the light strand are underlined). There are large variations in gene rearrangement among the Sessilia barnacles (Tsang et al 2017), but the four species from Tetraclitidae have the same gene order, indicating that it is highly conserved within the family.…”

“…There are large variations in gene rearrangement among the Sessilia barnacles (Tsang et al. 2017 ), but the four species from Tetraclitidae have the same gene order, indicating that it is highly conserved within the family.…”