The dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae comprises numerous genera and species with large differ... more The dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae comprises numerous genera and species with large differences in diversity, ecology, and geographic distribution. An evolutionarily divergent lineage common in temperate symbiotic cnidarians and designated in the literature by several informal names including "temperate-A", AI, Phylotype A´ (A-prime), and "Mediterranean A", is here assigned to the genus Philozoon. This genus was proposed by Geddes (1882) in one of the earliest papers that recognized "yellow cells" as distinct biological entities separate from their animal and protist hosts. Using phylogenetic data from nuclear (rDNA), chloroplast (cp23S) and mitochondrial genes (cob and cox1), as well as morphology (cell size), ecological traits (host affinity) and geographic distributions, we emend the genus Philozoon Geddes and two of its species, P. medusarum and P. actiniarum, and describe six new species. Each symbiont species exhibits high host fidelity for particular species of sea anemone, soft coral, stony coral, and a rhizostome jellyfish. Philozoon is most closely related to Symbiodinium (formerly Clade A), but, unlike its tropical counterpart, occurs in hosts in shallow temperate marine habitats from Northern and Southern Hemispheres including the Mediterranean Sea, northeastern Atlantic Ocean, eastern Australia, New Zealand and Chile. The existence of a species-diverse lineage adapted to cnidarian hosts living in high latitude habitats with inherently wide fluctuations in temperature calls further attention to the ecological and biogeographic reach of the Symbiodiniaceae.
Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research, Nov 10, 2013
Many of the characteristics used in sea anemone taxonomy can only be examined through histologica... more Many of the characteristics used in sea anemone taxonomy can only be examined through histological sections. Since there is no standardized procedure for this purpose, various anesthesia and fixation techniques applied to specimens of the intertidal species Anthopleura hermaphroditica and Bunodactis hermafroditica are discussed. Additionally, further modifications are proposed to the Masson's trichrome method according to the results obtained on these species. The combined effect of the short application of menthol crystals, together with small doses of MgCl 2 were the most satisfactory anesthetics for maintaining the specimens expanded. The best preparations were obtained from samples fixed for several months in 8% seawater formalin; however, in order to achieve a good differentiation of the tissue, mordanting the samples with Bouin's fixative was necessary. Besides being a fast method, the modified Masson's trichrome gives very good contrasts between the epithelia and the mesoglea, and allows controlling the timing of differentiation during staining. The present paper includes suggestions and precautions and thus offers practical help for the histological study of sea anemones.
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Jun 1, 2022
New in situ records of the sublittoral sea anemone Oulactis coliumensis (Riemann-Zürneck &amp... more New in situ records of the sublittoral sea anemone Oulactis coliumensis (Riemann-Zürneck & Gallardo, 1990) are provided from different localities of northern Chile and Peru. Specimens were generally observed buried in shallow soft bottoms (3–25 m depth), near port cities and in areas with a high organic load. This is the first report of the species outside its type locality (off the Bay of Coliumo, Chile; ~36°S), extending its range of distribution to lower latitudes.
Anthopleura hermaphroditica is an intertidal anemone that lives semi-buried in soft sediments of ... more Anthopleura hermaphroditica is an intertidal anemone that lives semi-buried in soft sediments of estuaries and releases its brooded embryos directly to the benthos, being exposed to potentially detrimental ultraviolet radiation (UVR) levels. In this study, we investigated how experimental radiation (PAR: photosynthetically active radiation; UVA: ultraviolet A radiation; and UVB: ultraviolet B radiation) influences burrowing (time, depth and speed) in adults and juveniles when they were exposed to PAR (P, 400–700 nm), PAR + UVA (PA, 315–700 nm) and PAR + UVA + UVB (PAB, 280–700 nm) experimental treatments. The role of sediment as a physical shield was also assessed by exposing anemones to these radiation treatments with and without sediment, after which lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyls and total antioxidant capacity were quantified. Our results indicate that PAB can induce a faster burial response compared to those anemones exposed only to P. PAB increased oxidative damage, espe...
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
New in situ records of the sublittoral sea anemone Oulactis coliumensis (Riemann-Zürneck & Gallar... more New in situ records of the sublittoral sea anemone Oulactis coliumensis (Riemann-Zürneck & Gallardo, 1990) are provided from different localities of northern Chile and Peru. Specimens were generally observed buried in shallow soft bottoms (3–25 m depth), near port cities and in areas with a high organic load. This is the first report of the species outside its type locality (off the Bay of Coliumo, Chile; ~36°S), extending its range of distribution to lower latitudes.
The dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae comprises numerous genera and species with large differ... more The dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae comprises numerous genera and species with large differences in diversity, ecology and geographic distribution. An evolutionarily divergent lineage common in temperate symbiotic cnidarians and designated in the literature by several informal names including 'temperate–A', A<sub>I</sub>, Phylotype A´ (A-prime) and 'Mediterranean A', is here assigned to the genus <i>Philozoon</i>. This genus was proposed by Geddes (1882) in one of the earliest papers that recognized 'yellow cells' as distinct biological entities separate from their animal and protist hosts. Using phylogenetic data from nuclear (rDNA), chloroplast (cp23S) and mitochondrial genes (<i>cob</i> and <i>cox</i>1), as well as morphology (cell size), ecological traits (host affinity) and geographic distributions, we emend the genus <i>Philozoon</i> Geddes and two of its species, <i>P. medusarum<...
A new species of sea anemone, Anthopleura radians n. sp., is described from the intertidal zone o... more A new species of sea anemone, Anthopleura radians n. sp., is described from the intertidal zone of northern Chile and the taxonomic status of the other Anthopleura species from the South Pacific are discussed. A. radians n. sp. is characterized by a yellow-whitish and brown checkerboard-like pattern on the oral disc, adhesive verrucae along the entire column and a series of marginal projections, each bearing a brightly-colored acrorhagus on the oral surface. This is the seventh species of Anthopleura described from the South Pacific Ocean; each one distinguished by a particular combination of differences related to their coloration pattern, presence of zooxanthellae, cnidae, and mode of reproduction. Some of these species have not been reported since their original description and thus require to be taxonomically validated. A. hermaphroditica and A. aureoradiata are synonyms considering the lack of differences seen between live specimens, museum collections and published records. A....
Resumen.-Debido a la ambigua definición de sus caracteres diagnósticos, las anémonas de mar chile... more Resumen.-Debido a la ambigua definición de sus caracteres diagnósticos, las anémonas de mar chilenas Anthopleura hermaphroditica y Bunodactis hermafroditica han sido confundidas en reiteradas ocasiones. Examinando la anatomía externa e interna de varios ejemplares recolectados entre Antofagasta y Chiloé, se re-describe y compara ambas especies en relación a su historia sinonímica. Aun siendo muy similares, A. hermaphroditica y B. hermafroditica pueden ser distinguidas por los patrones de coloración del disco oral, el desarrollo de las verrugas, la presencia de zooxantelas y los cnidocistos de la columna y filamentos mesenteriales. En base a estos criterios, la autoría de Bunodactis hermafroditica pertenece a Carlgren (1959) pero debido a que el material tipo no corresponde con la descripción, se designa un neotipo que contiene las características señaladas por dicho autor. Aunque se cuestiona la validez de los acrorragios para diferenciar géneros, se proponen modificaciones a la terminología empleada en las diagnosis de Anthopleura y Bunodactis. A partir de esto se rechaza la sinonimización de los géneros Gyractis y Bunodactis, considerando este último un género válido hasta que se realice una adecuada revisión del material tipo de Aulactinia. Por otro lado, las marcadas diferencias anatómicas observadas entre poblaciones de Anthopleura hermaphroditica sugieren la presencia de al menos dos especies distintas.
The dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae comprises numerous genera and species with large differ... more The dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae comprises numerous genera and species with large differences in diversity, ecology and geographic distribution. An evolutionarily divergent lineage common ...
A new species of sea anemone, Anthopleura radians n. sp., is described from the intertidal zone o... more A new species of sea anemone, Anthopleura radians n. sp., is described from the intertidal zone of northern Chile and the taxonomic status of the other Anthopleura species from the South Pacific are discussed. A. radians n. sp. is characterized by a yellow-whitish and brown checkerboard-like pattern on the oral disc, adhesive verrucae along the entire column and a series of marginal projections, each bearing a brightly-colored acrorhagus on the oral surface. This is the seventh species of Anthopleura described from the South Pacific Ocean; each one distinguished by a particular combination of differences related to their coloration pattern, presence of zooxanthellae, cnidae, and mode of reproduction. Some of these species have not been reported since their original description and thus require to be taxonomically validated. A. hermaphroditica and A. aureoradiata are synonyms considering the lack of differences seen between live specimens, museum collections and published records. A....
The present review provides an in-depth look into the complex topic of delimiting species in sea ... more The present review provides an in-depth look into the complex topic of delimiting species in sea anemones. For most part of history this has been based on a small number of variable anatomic traits, many of which are used indistinctly across multiple taxonomic ranks. Early attempts to classify this group succeeded to comprise much of the diversity known to date, yet numerous taxa were mostly characterized by the lack of features rather than synapomorphies. Of the total number of species names within Actiniaria, about 77% are currently considered valid and more than half of them have several synonyms. Besides the nominal problem caused by large intraspecific variations and ambiguously described characters, genetic studies show that morphological convergences are also widespread among molecular phylogenies. On the contrary, spatial distribution has been emerging as a more reliable parameter to explain cryptic relationships among sea anemones. Integrative approaches and genome-wide dat...
The phylogenetic resolution provided by genome-wide data has demonstrated the usefulness of RAD s... more The phylogenetic resolution provided by genome-wide data has demonstrated the usefulness of RAD sequencing to tackle long-standing taxonomic questions. Cnidarians have recently become a model group in this regard, yet species delimitation analyses have been mostly performed in octocorals. In this study, we used RAD sequencing to test the species hypotheses in a wide-spread complex of sea anemones (genus Anthothoe), contrasting this new line of evidence with their current classification. The alternative hypotheses were tested using a Bayes Factors delimitation method, and the most probable species tree was then evaluated under different biogeographic scenarios. Our results decisively rejected the current morphology-informed delimitation model and infer the presence of several cryptic species associated with distinct marine ecoregions. This spatial pattern was remarkably consistent throughout the study, highlighting the role of geographic distribution as a powerful explanatory variabl...
The phylogenetic resolution provided by genome-wide data has demonstrated the usefulness of RAD s... more The phylogenetic resolution provided by genome-wide data has demonstrated the usefulness of RAD sequencing to tackle long-standing taxonomic questions. Cnidarians have recently become a model group in this regard, yet species delimitation analyses have been mostly performed in octocorals. In this study, we used RAD sequencing to test the species hypotheses in a wide-spread complex of sea anemones (genus Anthothoe), contrasting this new line of evidence with their current classification. The alternative hypotheses were tested using a Bayes Factors delimitation method, and the most probable species tree was then evaluated under different biogeographic scenarios. Our results decisively rejected the current morphology-informed delimitation model and infer the presence of several cryptic species associated with distinct marine ecoregions. This spatial pattern was remarkably consistent throughout the study, highlighting the role of geographic distribution as a powerful explanatory variabl...
Z oo log isc he Staatss ammlun g Mü nc he n ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR ZOOLOGIE published by the BAVARIAN ST... more Z oo log isc he Staatss ammlun g Mü nc he n ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR ZOOLOGIE published by the BAVARIAN STATE COLLECTION OF ZOOLOGY (ZOOLOGISCHE STAATSSAMMLUNG MÜNCHEN)
The Chilean sea anemones Anthopleura hermaphroditica and Bunodactis hermafroditica have been conf... more The Chilean sea anemones Anthopleura hermaphroditica and Bunodactis hermafroditica have been confused repeatedly due to ambiguity in the definition of their diagnostic features. The present article re-describes and compares both species in relation to their synonymic history by examining the external and internal anatomy of several specimens collected between Antofagasta and Chiloé. Although very similar, A. hermaphroditica and B. hermafroditica can be distinguished by the coloration patterns of the oral disc, development of verrucae, presence of zooxanthellae, and the cnidae of the column and the mesenterial filaments. Based on these differences, the authorship of Bunodactis hermafroditica belongs to Carlgren (1959) but because the type material does not match with the description; we designate a neotype that contains the features identified by this author. While the validity of acrorhagi to differentiate genera is questioned, some amendments to the terminology used in the diagnosis of Anthopleura and Bunodactis are proposed. Hence, we reject the synonymization of the genera Gyractis and Bunodactis, considering the latter as a valid genus until a proper review with the type material of Aulactinia is made. In addition, the remarkable anatomical differences observed among populations of Anthopleura hermaphroditica suggest the presence of at least two distinct species.
The dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae comprises numerous genera and species with large differ... more The dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae comprises numerous genera and species with large differences in diversity, ecology, and geographic distribution. An evolutionarily divergent lineage common in temperate symbiotic cnidarians and designated in the literature by several informal names including "temperate-A", AI, Phylotype A´ (A-prime), and "Mediterranean A", is here assigned to the genus Philozoon. This genus was proposed by Geddes (1882) in one of the earliest papers that recognized "yellow cells" as distinct biological entities separate from their animal and protist hosts. Using phylogenetic data from nuclear (rDNA), chloroplast (cp23S) and mitochondrial genes (cob and cox1), as well as morphology (cell size), ecological traits (host affinity) and geographic distributions, we emend the genus Philozoon Geddes and two of its species, P. medusarum and P. actiniarum, and describe six new species. Each symbiont species exhibits high host fidelity for particular species of sea anemone, soft coral, stony coral, and a rhizostome jellyfish. Philozoon is most closely related to Symbiodinium (formerly Clade A), but, unlike its tropical counterpart, occurs in hosts in shallow temperate marine habitats from Northern and Southern Hemispheres including the Mediterranean Sea, northeastern Atlantic Ocean, eastern Australia, New Zealand and Chile. The existence of a species-diverse lineage adapted to cnidarian hosts living in high latitude habitats with inherently wide fluctuations in temperature calls further attention to the ecological and biogeographic reach of the Symbiodiniaceae.
Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research, Nov 10, 2013
Many of the characteristics used in sea anemone taxonomy can only be examined through histologica... more Many of the characteristics used in sea anemone taxonomy can only be examined through histological sections. Since there is no standardized procedure for this purpose, various anesthesia and fixation techniques applied to specimens of the intertidal species Anthopleura hermaphroditica and Bunodactis hermafroditica are discussed. Additionally, further modifications are proposed to the Masson's trichrome method according to the results obtained on these species. The combined effect of the short application of menthol crystals, together with small doses of MgCl 2 were the most satisfactory anesthetics for maintaining the specimens expanded. The best preparations were obtained from samples fixed for several months in 8% seawater formalin; however, in order to achieve a good differentiation of the tissue, mordanting the samples with Bouin's fixative was necessary. Besides being a fast method, the modified Masson's trichrome gives very good contrasts between the epithelia and the mesoglea, and allows controlling the timing of differentiation during staining. The present paper includes suggestions and precautions and thus offers practical help for the histological study of sea anemones.
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Jun 1, 2022
New in situ records of the sublittoral sea anemone Oulactis coliumensis (Riemann-Zürneck &amp... more New in situ records of the sublittoral sea anemone Oulactis coliumensis (Riemann-Zürneck &amp; Gallardo, 1990) are provided from different localities of northern Chile and Peru. Specimens were generally observed buried in shallow soft bottoms (3–25 m depth), near port cities and in areas with a high organic load. This is the first report of the species outside its type locality (off the Bay of Coliumo, Chile; ~36°S), extending its range of distribution to lower latitudes.
Anthopleura hermaphroditica is an intertidal anemone that lives semi-buried in soft sediments of ... more Anthopleura hermaphroditica is an intertidal anemone that lives semi-buried in soft sediments of estuaries and releases its brooded embryos directly to the benthos, being exposed to potentially detrimental ultraviolet radiation (UVR) levels. In this study, we investigated how experimental radiation (PAR: photosynthetically active radiation; UVA: ultraviolet A radiation; and UVB: ultraviolet B radiation) influences burrowing (time, depth and speed) in adults and juveniles when they were exposed to PAR (P, 400–700 nm), PAR + UVA (PA, 315–700 nm) and PAR + UVA + UVB (PAB, 280–700 nm) experimental treatments. The role of sediment as a physical shield was also assessed by exposing anemones to these radiation treatments with and without sediment, after which lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyls and total antioxidant capacity were quantified. Our results indicate that PAB can induce a faster burial response compared to those anemones exposed only to P. PAB increased oxidative damage, espe...
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
New in situ records of the sublittoral sea anemone Oulactis coliumensis (Riemann-Zürneck & Gallar... more New in situ records of the sublittoral sea anemone Oulactis coliumensis (Riemann-Zürneck & Gallardo, 1990) are provided from different localities of northern Chile and Peru. Specimens were generally observed buried in shallow soft bottoms (3–25 m depth), near port cities and in areas with a high organic load. This is the first report of the species outside its type locality (off the Bay of Coliumo, Chile; ~36°S), extending its range of distribution to lower latitudes.
The dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae comprises numerous genera and species with large differ... more The dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae comprises numerous genera and species with large differences in diversity, ecology and geographic distribution. An evolutionarily divergent lineage common in temperate symbiotic cnidarians and designated in the literature by several informal names including 'temperate–A', A<sub>I</sub>, Phylotype A´ (A-prime) and 'Mediterranean A', is here assigned to the genus <i>Philozoon</i>. This genus was proposed by Geddes (1882) in one of the earliest papers that recognized 'yellow cells' as distinct biological entities separate from their animal and protist hosts. Using phylogenetic data from nuclear (rDNA), chloroplast (cp23S) and mitochondrial genes (<i>cob</i> and <i>cox</i>1), as well as morphology (cell size), ecological traits (host affinity) and geographic distributions, we emend the genus <i>Philozoon</i> Geddes and two of its species, <i>P. medusarum<...
A new species of sea anemone, Anthopleura radians n. sp., is described from the intertidal zone o... more A new species of sea anemone, Anthopleura radians n. sp., is described from the intertidal zone of northern Chile and the taxonomic status of the other Anthopleura species from the South Pacific are discussed. A. radians n. sp. is characterized by a yellow-whitish and brown checkerboard-like pattern on the oral disc, adhesive verrucae along the entire column and a series of marginal projections, each bearing a brightly-colored acrorhagus on the oral surface. This is the seventh species of Anthopleura described from the South Pacific Ocean; each one distinguished by a particular combination of differences related to their coloration pattern, presence of zooxanthellae, cnidae, and mode of reproduction. Some of these species have not been reported since their original description and thus require to be taxonomically validated. A. hermaphroditica and A. aureoradiata are synonyms considering the lack of differences seen between live specimens, museum collections and published records. A....
Resumen.-Debido a la ambigua definición de sus caracteres diagnósticos, las anémonas de mar chile... more Resumen.-Debido a la ambigua definición de sus caracteres diagnósticos, las anémonas de mar chilenas Anthopleura hermaphroditica y Bunodactis hermafroditica han sido confundidas en reiteradas ocasiones. Examinando la anatomía externa e interna de varios ejemplares recolectados entre Antofagasta y Chiloé, se re-describe y compara ambas especies en relación a su historia sinonímica. Aun siendo muy similares, A. hermaphroditica y B. hermafroditica pueden ser distinguidas por los patrones de coloración del disco oral, el desarrollo de las verrugas, la presencia de zooxantelas y los cnidocistos de la columna y filamentos mesenteriales. En base a estos criterios, la autoría de Bunodactis hermafroditica pertenece a Carlgren (1959) pero debido a que el material tipo no corresponde con la descripción, se designa un neotipo que contiene las características señaladas por dicho autor. Aunque se cuestiona la validez de los acrorragios para diferenciar géneros, se proponen modificaciones a la terminología empleada en las diagnosis de Anthopleura y Bunodactis. A partir de esto se rechaza la sinonimización de los géneros Gyractis y Bunodactis, considerando este último un género válido hasta que se realice una adecuada revisión del material tipo de Aulactinia. Por otro lado, las marcadas diferencias anatómicas observadas entre poblaciones de Anthopleura hermaphroditica sugieren la presencia de al menos dos especies distintas.
The dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae comprises numerous genera and species with large differ... more The dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae comprises numerous genera and species with large differences in diversity, ecology and geographic distribution. An evolutionarily divergent lineage common ...
A new species of sea anemone, Anthopleura radians n. sp., is described from the intertidal zone o... more A new species of sea anemone, Anthopleura radians n. sp., is described from the intertidal zone of northern Chile and the taxonomic status of the other Anthopleura species from the South Pacific are discussed. A. radians n. sp. is characterized by a yellow-whitish and brown checkerboard-like pattern on the oral disc, adhesive verrucae along the entire column and a series of marginal projections, each bearing a brightly-colored acrorhagus on the oral surface. This is the seventh species of Anthopleura described from the South Pacific Ocean; each one distinguished by a particular combination of differences related to their coloration pattern, presence of zooxanthellae, cnidae, and mode of reproduction. Some of these species have not been reported since their original description and thus require to be taxonomically validated. A. hermaphroditica and A. aureoradiata are synonyms considering the lack of differences seen between live specimens, museum collections and published records. A....
The present review provides an in-depth look into the complex topic of delimiting species in sea ... more The present review provides an in-depth look into the complex topic of delimiting species in sea anemones. For most part of history this has been based on a small number of variable anatomic traits, many of which are used indistinctly across multiple taxonomic ranks. Early attempts to classify this group succeeded to comprise much of the diversity known to date, yet numerous taxa were mostly characterized by the lack of features rather than synapomorphies. Of the total number of species names within Actiniaria, about 77% are currently considered valid and more than half of them have several synonyms. Besides the nominal problem caused by large intraspecific variations and ambiguously described characters, genetic studies show that morphological convergences are also widespread among molecular phylogenies. On the contrary, spatial distribution has been emerging as a more reliable parameter to explain cryptic relationships among sea anemones. Integrative approaches and genome-wide dat...
The phylogenetic resolution provided by genome-wide data has demonstrated the usefulness of RAD s... more The phylogenetic resolution provided by genome-wide data has demonstrated the usefulness of RAD sequencing to tackle long-standing taxonomic questions. Cnidarians have recently become a model group in this regard, yet species delimitation analyses have been mostly performed in octocorals. In this study, we used RAD sequencing to test the species hypotheses in a wide-spread complex of sea anemones (genus Anthothoe), contrasting this new line of evidence with their current classification. The alternative hypotheses were tested using a Bayes Factors delimitation method, and the most probable species tree was then evaluated under different biogeographic scenarios. Our results decisively rejected the current morphology-informed delimitation model and infer the presence of several cryptic species associated with distinct marine ecoregions. This spatial pattern was remarkably consistent throughout the study, highlighting the role of geographic distribution as a powerful explanatory variabl...
The phylogenetic resolution provided by genome-wide data has demonstrated the usefulness of RAD s... more The phylogenetic resolution provided by genome-wide data has demonstrated the usefulness of RAD sequencing to tackle long-standing taxonomic questions. Cnidarians have recently become a model group in this regard, yet species delimitation analyses have been mostly performed in octocorals. In this study, we used RAD sequencing to test the species hypotheses in a wide-spread complex of sea anemones (genus Anthothoe), contrasting this new line of evidence with their current classification. The alternative hypotheses were tested using a Bayes Factors delimitation method, and the most probable species tree was then evaluated under different biogeographic scenarios. Our results decisively rejected the current morphology-informed delimitation model and infer the presence of several cryptic species associated with distinct marine ecoregions. This spatial pattern was remarkably consistent throughout the study, highlighting the role of geographic distribution as a powerful explanatory variabl...
Z oo log isc he Staatss ammlun g Mü nc he n ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR ZOOLOGIE published by the BAVARIAN ST... more Z oo log isc he Staatss ammlun g Mü nc he n ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR ZOOLOGIE published by the BAVARIAN STATE COLLECTION OF ZOOLOGY (ZOOLOGISCHE STAATSSAMMLUNG MÜNCHEN)
The Chilean sea anemones Anthopleura hermaphroditica and Bunodactis hermafroditica have been conf... more The Chilean sea anemones Anthopleura hermaphroditica and Bunodactis hermafroditica have been confused repeatedly due to ambiguity in the definition of their diagnostic features. The present article re-describes and compares both species in relation to their synonymic history by examining the external and internal anatomy of several specimens collected between Antofagasta and Chiloé. Although very similar, A. hermaphroditica and B. hermafroditica can be distinguished by the coloration patterns of the oral disc, development of verrucae, presence of zooxanthellae, and the cnidae of the column and the mesenterial filaments. Based on these differences, the authorship of Bunodactis hermafroditica belongs to Carlgren (1959) but because the type material does not match with the description; we designate a neotype that contains the features identified by this author. While the validity of acrorhagi to differentiate genera is questioned, some amendments to the terminology used in the diagnosis of Anthopleura and Bunodactis are proposed. Hence, we reject the synonymization of the genera Gyractis and Bunodactis, considering the latter as a valid genus until a proper review with the type material of Aulactinia is made. In addition, the remarkable anatomical differences observed among populations of Anthopleura hermaphroditica suggest the presence of at least two distinct species.
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Papers by Carlos Spano
repeatedly due to ambiguity in the definition of their diagnostic features. The present article re-describes and compares
both species in relation to their synonymic history by examining the external and internal anatomy of several specimens
collected between Antofagasta and Chiloé. Although very similar, A. hermaphroditica and B. hermafroditica can be
distinguished by the coloration patterns of the oral disc, development of verrucae, presence of zooxanthellae, and the
cnidae of the column and the mesenterial filaments. Based on these differences, the authorship of Bunodactis
hermafroditica belongs to Carlgren (1959) but because the type material does not match with the description; we designate
a neotype that contains the features identified by this author. While the validity of acrorhagi to differentiate genera is
questioned, some amendments to the terminology used in the diagnosis of Anthopleura and Bunodactis are proposed.
Hence, we reject the synonymization of the genera Gyractis and Bunodactis, considering the latter as a valid genus until
a proper review with the type material of Aulactinia is made. In addition, the remarkable anatomical differences observed
among populations of Anthopleura hermaphroditica suggest the presence of at least two distinct species.
repeatedly due to ambiguity in the definition of their diagnostic features. The present article re-describes and compares
both species in relation to their synonymic history by examining the external and internal anatomy of several specimens
collected between Antofagasta and Chiloé. Although very similar, A. hermaphroditica and B. hermafroditica can be
distinguished by the coloration patterns of the oral disc, development of verrucae, presence of zooxanthellae, and the
cnidae of the column and the mesenterial filaments. Based on these differences, the authorship of Bunodactis
hermafroditica belongs to Carlgren (1959) but because the type material does not match with the description; we designate
a neotype that contains the features identified by this author. While the validity of acrorhagi to differentiate genera is
questioned, some amendments to the terminology used in the diagnosis of Anthopleura and Bunodactis are proposed.
Hence, we reject the synonymization of the genera Gyractis and Bunodactis, considering the latter as a valid genus until
a proper review with the type material of Aulactinia is made. In addition, the remarkable anatomical differences observed
among populations of Anthopleura hermaphroditica suggest the presence of at least two distinct species.