Global bottlenecks in the distribution of marine Crustacea: temperature constraints in the family Lithodidae

Abstract

Aim Members of the crustacean family Lithodidae share preferences for coldwater environments; however, the specific role of temperature in governing lithodid biogeography has not been examined to date. In the present study this relationship was quantified through the analysis of habitat data, and the results were interpreted in the light of previous physiological studies. It was hypothesized that lineage-specific temperature thresholds underlie differences in the distribution of the two lithodid subfamilies.Location The family Lithodidae is divided into the subfamilies Hapalogastrinae and Lithodinae. The Hapalogastrinae inhabit depths of between 0 and 200 m in the North Pacific. The Lithodinae are distributed globally in the deep sea, with a few genera occurring intertidally at high latitudes.Methods Descriptions of 86 species of lithodids, sampled at 627 locations worldwide, were obtained from a wide range of published and original sources. For each specimen, the water temperature at the time and locality of collection was recorded. Molecular sequence data for the 16S, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 28S genes were analysed to construct a phylogenetic tree for the major lithodid genera, using a maximum likelihood method in the program paup*. Further analyses examined the link between the habitat temperature range and the position of taxa within the lithodid phylogeny.Results Phylogenetic evidence indicated that the deep-water lithodid lineages had ancestors that inhabited the coastal waters of the North Pacific. Adults of North Pacific lithodid taxa were found in regions where water temperatures ranged from 0 to 25°C; however, deep-water lineages of the Lithodinae were excluded from waters exceeding temperatures of 13°C. Despite the higher temperatures tolerated by adults, North Pacific intertidal/subtidal genera were restricted to regions that had water temperatures lower than 16°C during periods of larval development.Main conclusions Temperature has restricted the range of most shallow-water genera of Lithodidae to the coastline of the North Pacific since the early history of the family. Distribution in these groups remains constrained by the detrimental effects of temperature extremes on early life-history stages. Deep-water lineages moved away from seasonal temperature fluctuations, and underwent at least three radiations into water bodies outside the North Pacific. Species from within the deep-water lineages currently live close to the threshold of their temperature tolerance in the Southern Ocean, and their future distribution may be affected by increases in ocean temperature.

Behavioural and respiratory response of the shallow-water hermit crab Pagurus cuanensis to hydrostatic pressure and temperature

“…This intolerance to high temperatures resulted in the radiation of the Lithodinae from the North Pacific through the deep sea to avoid the high temperatures (Zaklan, 2002). Therefore the spread of the Lithodinae occurred through a temperature bottleneck (Hall and Thatje, 2009). This is fundamentally similar to the pattern of increasing depth distribution of P. cuanensis with movement southwards in the North Atlantic (Forest, and Guinot, 1956;Ingle, 1993).…”

“…A possible reason for the greater success of deep-sea existence of the Lithodinae is the adaptation of having a strongly calcified exoskeleton, negating the need for gastropod shell protection, a resource, which becomes limited with depth. This is further supported by the radiation into the deep sea by the fully armoured Lithodinae, but the restriction to depths not more than 200 m of the soft abdomened Hapalogastrinae (Zaklan, 2002;Hall and Thatje, 2009). …”

“…Hazlett, 1981). In contrast, there are no terrestrial king crabs, and there is a limit to the temperature range with a maximum of about 16°C for successful larval development (Hall and Thatje, 2009). The Lithodidae are divided into two sub-families, Hapalogastrinae and Lithodinae.…”

“…The Lithodidae are divided into two sub-families, Hapalogastrinae and Lithodinae. The Hapalogastrinae are constrained to the North Pacific and inhabit depths less than 200 m, yet the Lithodinae are distributed globally, with a maximum temperature threshold of 13°C, resulting in a deeper distribution to greater than 3000 m, and intertidal species being found only at high latitudes (Hall and Thatje, 2009). This intolerance to high temperatures resulted in the radiation of the Lithodinae from the North Pacific through the deep sea to avoid the high temperatures (Zaklan, 2002).…”

“…A few exceptional species are also found terrestrially (Hazlett, 1981), while only few species are found in the deep sea (Selbie, 1921). The family Lithodidae is divided into two sub-families, the Hapalogastrinae which is constrained to the shallow North-Pacific and the Lithodinae, which is distributed globally but primarily restricted to the cold waters of the deep sea and shallow waters of high latitudes (Hall and Thatje, 2009). Differences in the distributions of the families may be related to the evolution of different tolerance levels to both temperature and hydrostatic pressure.…”