Zoanthids of the Cape Verde Islands and their symbionts: previously unexamined diversity in the Northeastern Atlantic

Abstract

The marine invertebrate fauna of the Cape Verde Islands contains many endemic species due to their isolated location in the eastern Atlantic, yet research has not been conducted on most taxa here. One such group are the zoanthids or mat anemones, an order of benthic cnidarians (Hexacorallia: Zoantharia) common in many marine environments. In this study, the diversity of zoanthids in the Cape Verde Islands is specifically examined for the first time. Field images and sampling are combined with molecular phylogenetic analyses utilizing two mitochondrial DNA markers (cytochrome oxidase subunit I and 16S ribosomal DNA) to determine the number of species present. Specimens from eight species (Palythoa caribaeorum, Palythoa sp. 265, Zoanthus aff. pulchellus, Isaurus tuberculatus, Parazoanthus sp. 269, Parazoanthus sp. 1401, Antipathozoanthus macaronesicus, Terrazoanthus sp. 276) were identified, including two to four species that are likely new to science. Additional examinations of Symbiodinium endosymbionts in zooxanthellate species showed that clades A, B, and C were present; this is the first report of clade B associating with a zoanthid species. An appendix describing the eight zoanthid species found in the Cape Verde Islands is included to provide a base for future zoanthid research in this region.

A new family of diminutive zooxanthellate zoanthids (Hexacorallia: Zoantharia)

“…For Symbiodinium ITS rDNA sequences, an alignment of ‘clade C’ ( sensu LaJeunesse ) sequences was generated from alignments of previous Symbiodinium analyses (Reimer, Takishita & Maruyama, 2006a; Reimer et al ., 2006b; Reimer, Hirose & Wirtz, 2010a) using zoanthid‐associated zooxanthellae sequences plus sequences of other clade‐C subclades from recent studies (the GenBank accession numbers are given in the resulting phylogenetic tree). The alignment consisted of primarily the second internal ribosomal space of ribosomal DNA ( ITS2 , which has been widely used in the identification of Symbiodinium types, e.g.…”

Characterisation of palytoxin from an undescribed Palythoa (Anthozoa: Zoantharia: Sphenopidae) with significant in vitro cytotoxic effects on cancer cells at picomolar doses

“…Pc001 does not match with any Indo-Pacific Palythoa species but fits very well with a specimen from the Cape Verde Islands named Palythoa sp. 265 [64] which is also genetically very close to P. aff. clavata [62].…”

“…265 in our concatenated analysis since ITS-rRNA sequences are not available in public databases. Nevertheless, Reimer et al [64] provided its COI sequence, the phylogenetic analysis of which confirmed a close relationship between Palythoa sp. 265 from the Cape Verde Islands and Palythoa sp.…”

The order Zoantharia Rafinesque, 1815 (Cnidaria, Anthozoa: Hexacorallia): supraspecific classification and nomenclature

“…In describing Thoracactis topsenti , Gravier (1918) incorrectly identified it as an actinian (anemone) based on the lack of zooxanthellae, channels, gaps, or cell islets. Although currently placed in the family Epizoanthidae, based on the current understanding of the type species, this genus is referable to the family Parazoanthidae, although an examination of the type material will be necessary to confirm this (see Reimer et al 2010a: 158).…”

“…Described species currently referable to the genus Terrazoanthus are mainly from the East Pacific, with Terrazoanthus minutus from the Caribbean, and it is likely that several more undescribed species exist in the Atlantic (see Reimer et al 2010a, 2012a) and in the Central Indo-Pacific region (Reimer et al 2014b). …”