Kise Hiroki, Reimer James Davis, Iguchi Akira, Ise Yuji, Tsuchida Shinji, Fujiwara Yoshihiro
Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, AIST Tsukuba Central 7, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan.
Molecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan.
Zookeys. 2024 Dec 27;1221:343-362. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1221.131258. eCollection 2024.
Seamounts are biodiversity hotspots that face increasing threats from anthropogenic activities. Seamounts host diverse sessile suspension-feeding organisms such as sponges and anthozoans, which are crucial for seamount ecosystems as they construct three-dimensional habitats utilized by numerous other animals. Therefore, accurate identification of seamount fauna, in particular of sessile suspension-feeding organisms, is of paramount importance for robust conservation efforts. This study focused on Zoantharia, a sessile anthozoan group, and specifically the family Parazoanthidae, known for associations with many different host taxa, prominently including octocorals and sponges. We collected Parazoanthidae specimens from northwestern Pacific seamounts and formally describe a new species, Kise & Reimer, , based on morphological and molecular analyses. We also report the complete mitochondrial genomes of this new species and the related species Our results reconfirm the phylogenetic positions of these two species within Parazoanthidae, while demonstrating much remains to be learned about the benthic diversity of northwestern Pacific seamounts.
海山是生物多样性热点地区，正面临着来自人类活动日益增加的威胁。海山栖息着各种固着性悬浮取食生物，如海绵和珊瑚虫，它们对海山生态系统至关重要，因为它们构建了许多其他动物利用的三维栖息地。因此，准确识别海山动物群，特别是固着性悬浮取食生物，对于有力的保护工作至关重要。本研究聚焦于珊瑚虫纲的一个固着性群体——群体海葵目，特别是以与许多不同宿主类群（主要包括八放珊瑚和海绵）相关联而闻名的拟群体海葵科。我们从西北太平洋海山收集了拟群体海葵科标本，并基于形态学和分子分析正式描述了一个新物种——木下群体海葵，基泽 & 赖默， 。我们还报告了这个新物种和相关物种的完整线粒体基因组。我们的结果再次证实了这两个物种在拟群体海葵科中的系统发育位置，同时表明关于西北太平洋海山的底栖生物多样性仍有许多有待了解之处。
