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Title: The systematics of Lobophora (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans: eight new species
Lobophorais a common tropical to temperate genus of brown algae found in a plethora of habitats including shallow and deep‐water coral reefs, rocky shores, mangroves, seagrass beds, and rhodoliths beds. Recent molecular studies have revealed thatLobophoraspecies diversity has been severely underestimated. Current estimates of the species numbers range from 100 to 140 species with a suggested center of diversity in the Central Indo‐Pacific. This study used three molecular markers (cox3,rbcL,psbA), different single‐marker species delimitation methods (GMYC,ABGD,PTP), and morphological evidence to evaluateLobophoraspecies diversity in the Western Atlantic and the Eastern Pacific oceans.Cox3 provided the greatest number of primary species hypotheses(PSH), followed byrbcL and thenpsbA.GMYCspecies delimitation analysis was the most conservative across all three markers, followed byPTP, and then ABGD. The most informative diagnostic morphological characters were thallus thickness and number of cell layers in both the medulla and the dorsal/ventral cortices. Following a consensus approach, 14 distinctLobophoraspecies were identified in the Western Atlantic and five in the Eastern Pacific. Eight new species from these two oceans were herein described:L. adpressasp. nov.,L. cocoensissp. nov.,L. colombianasp. nov.,L. crispatasp. nov.,L. delicatasp. nov.,L. dispersasp. nov.,L. panamensissp. nov., andL. tortugensissp. nov. This study showed that the best approach to confidently identifyLobophoraspecies is to analyzeDNAsequences (preferablycox3 andrbcL) followed by comparative morphological and geographical assessment.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1754504
PAR ID:
10460554
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley-Blackwell
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Journal of Phycology
Volume:
55
Issue:
3
ISSN:
0022-3646
Page Range / eLocation ID:
p. 611-624
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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