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Integrative taxonomy of a new species of planarian from the Lake Ohrid basin, including an analysis of biogeographical patterns in freshwater triclads from the Ohrid region (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae).

ABSTRACT: A new species of the genus Dugesia is described from the Lake Ohrid region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula, forming the first fully documented species description for this genus in the Ohrid area. The morphological species delimitation is supported by complementary molecular, karyological, and cytogenetic data available from the literature. Therefore, species delineation is based on a truly integrative approach. Further, a short account on the degree of freshwater planarian endemicity in the Ohrid region is provided.

SUBMITTER: Stocchino GA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3701229 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Integrative taxonomy of a new species of planarian from the Lake Ohrid basin, including an analysis of biogeographical patterns in freshwater triclads from the Ohrid region (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae).

Stocchino Giacinta Angela GA Sluys Ronald R Deri Paolo P Manconi Renata R

ZooKeys 20130628 313

A new species of the genus Dugesia is described from the Lake Ohrid region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula, forming the first fully documented species description for this genus in the Ohrid area. The morphological species delimitation is supported by complementary molecular, karyological, and cytogenetic data available from the literature. Therefore, species delineation is based on a truly integrative approach. Further, a short account on the degree of freshwater planarian endemicit ...[more]

PMID: 23840163

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Project description:BackgroundDugesia sicula is the only species of its genus not presenting an endemic or restricted distribution within the Mediterranean area. It mostly comprises fissiparous populations (asexual reproduction by body division and regeneration), most likely sexually sterile, and characterized by an extremely low genetic diversity interpreted as the consequence of a recent anthropic expansion. However, its fissiparous reproduction can result in an apparent lack of diversity within the species, since genetic variation within individuals can be as large as between them because most individuals within a population are clones. We have estimated haplotype and nucleotide diversity of cytochrome oxidase I within and among individuals along the species distribution of a broad sample of D. sicula, including asexual and the two only sexual populations known today; and predicted its potential distribution based on climatic variables. Our aim was to determine the centre of colonisation origin, whether the populations are recent, and whether the species is expanding.ResultsThe species presents 3 most frequent haplotypes, differing in a maximum of 11 base pairs. As expected from their fissiparous mode of reproduction, in half of all the analysed localities many individuals have multiple heteroplasmic haplotypes. The distribution of haplotypes is not geographically structured; however, the distribution of haplotypes and heteroplasmic populations shows higher diversity in the central Mediterranean region. The potential distribution predicted by climatic variables based modelling shows a preference for coastal areas and fits well with the observed data.ConclusionsThe distribution and frequency of the most frequent haplotypes and the presence of heteroplasmic individuals allow us to gain an understanding of the recent history of the species, together with previous knowledge on its phylogenetic relationships and age: The species most probably originated in Africa and dispersed through the central Mediterranean. After one or multiple populations became triploid and fissiparous, the species colonized the Mediterranean basin, likely both by its own means and helped by human activities. Its present distribution practically fulfils its potential distribution as modelled with climatic variables. Its prevalence in coastal regions with higher water temperatures predicts a likely future expansion to northern and more interior areas following the increase in temperatures due to climate change.

Project description:BackgroundFreshwater planarians of the genus Dugesia (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae) are distributed in a major part of the Old World and Australia, although until recently only very few species were known from China.ResultsTwo new species of Dugesia from Southern China are described on the basis of an integrative taxonomic approach. BI and ML phylogenetic trees based on the independent genes and on the concatenated dataset had similar topologies, only differing in some nodes that were weakly supported. Phylogenetic trees based on the concatenated dataset revealed that D. adunca Chen & Sluys, sp. nov. and D. tumida Chen & Sluys, sp. nov. are not closely related and belong to different clades. The two new species occupy separate long branches with high support values and, thus, are well-differentiated from their congeners. Separate species status of D. adunca and D. tumida is supported also by the genetic distances between the species included in our analysis, albeit that COI distances varied greatly among species. Dugesia adunca from Guangxi Province is characterized by the following features: living mature animals rather small; asymmetrical openings of the oviducts into the bursal canal; penis papilla with shape of an aquiline bill, albeit with a blunt tip; asymmetrical penis papilla, with a large antero-dorsal lip and a much smaller ventro-posterior lip; very large seminal vesicle, provided with trabeculae; small diaphragm; mixoploid karyotype with diploid complements of 2n = 2x = 16 and triploid complements of 2n = 3x = 24, with all chromosomes being metacentric. Dugesia tumida from Guangdong Province is characterized by a penis papilla provided with a large, symmetrical penial valve from the middle of which arises the small, distal section of the papilla; a duct intercalated between the seminal vesicle and the small diaphragm; ventrally displaced ejaculatory duct curving upwards before opening to the exterior; penis papilla highly asymmetrical, having a slim and long ventral portion and a short and stubby dorsal part; vasa deferentia separately opening into antero-dorsal portion of seminal vesicle; oviducts openings symmetrically into ventral portion of the bursal canal, near its opening into the atrium; mixoploid karyotype, with diploid chromosome portraits of 2n = 2x = 16, and triploid complements of 2n = 3x = 24, with all chromosomes being metacentric. In the context of the various kinds of mixoploidy and the sexualization of specimens, reproductive modalities within the genus Dugesia are shortly discussed.ConclusionMolecular, morphological, and karyological markers show that the two populations examined represent members of the genus Dugesia and constitute two new, distinct species.

Dataset Information

Integrative taxonomy of a new species of planarian from the Lake Ohrid basin, including an analysis of biogeographical patterns in freshwater triclads from the Ohrid region (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae).

Publications

Integrative taxonomy of a new species of planarian from the Lake Ohrid basin, including an analysis of biogeographical patterns in freshwater triclads from the Ohrid region (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae).

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