A Multi-gene Analysis Reveals Multiple Highly Divergent Lineages of The Isopod Chelator Insignis (Hansen, 1916) South of Iceland

• Published in: Polish Polar Research
• Main Authors: Brix, Saskia, Svavarsson, Jörundur, Leese, Florian
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Walter de Gruyter GmbH 2014
• Subjects: Ecology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Reykjanes; Iceland; Polar Research
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/popore-2014-0015; https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/popore/35/2/article-p225.xml; https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/popore.2014.35.issue-2/popore-2014-0015/popore-2014-0015.pdf

Abstract The eurybathic isopod species Chelator insignis shows a wide distribution south of Iceland. We analysed 51 specimens from shelf (213–305 m depth), slope (885–891 m and 1380–1390 m depth) and deep-sea habitats (2750 m) south of Iceland with different DNA markers. A fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) was studied for 47 specimens, 16S was studied for 36 specimens, and a fragment for the 18S rRNA gene could be amplified for 11 specimens. For the COI data, specimens clustered into five distinct lineages each separated by ≥20% uncorrected pairwise distances. Both the mitochondrial 16S and the nuclear 18S sequence data further support this deep divergence, suggesting the presence of overlooked species inside the nominal C. insignis . Populations on the shelf occurring east and west of the Reykjanes Ridge were genetically identical suggesting that this ridge is not a barrier to gene flow. However, populations from different depth ranges differed substantially. Our multi-gene analysis suggests that the newly found species likely have more narrow vertical distribution ranges and highlights a possible role of bathymetry in speciation processes.