| Title | Disentangling the morphological stasis in two rotifer species of the Brachionus plicatilis species complex |
| Abstract | The taxonomic uncertainty surrounding cryptic species complexes has traditionally been resolved using lengthy experimental approaches, while, since the advent of PCR based techniques the number of cryptic species described in a variety of taxa is increasing steadily. Here we formally describe a new rotifer species of the Brachionus plicatilis complex: Brachionus manjavacas n.sp., disentangling what was known as a morphological stasis. Detailed morphological analyses demonstrated significant differences in body shape and size between B. manjavacas and B. plicatilis s.s., analysed by geometric morphometrics; unfortunately these statistical differences are not taxonomically reliable because of wide overlaps. Size and asymmetry of masticatory apparatus, named trophi, observed by SEM, gave similar results, with taxonomic ambiguity. Only the shape of small pieces of the trophi, named satellites, were consistently different between the species. On a strictly classical taxonomical basis it is absolutely useful to name new species on morphological bases, as we did, and to assess their status as distinct entities. Nevertheless, the two species are broadly similar; therefore, we do not suggest using the small differences in shape of satellites of trophi to identify the species for further ecological studies, but to continue discriminating them on genetic marker bases. |
| Source | Hydrobiologia (The Hague. Print) 583, pp. 297–307 |
| Keywords | Brachionus manjavacas n.sp.Brachionus plicatiliscryptic speciesgeometric morphometricsscanning electron microscopytrophi |
| Journal | Hydrobiologia (The Hague. Print) |
| Editor | Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, Paesi Bassi |
| Year | 2007 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10750-007-0573-1 |
| Authors | Fontaneto, Diego; Giordani, Irene; Melone, Giulio; Serra, Manuel |
| Text | 283710 2007 10.1007/s10750 007 0573 1 ISI Web of Science WOS 000245358700025 Brachionus manjavacas n.sp. Brachionus plicatilis cryptic species geometric morphometrics scanning electron microscopy trophi Disentangling the morphological stasis in two rotifer species of the Brachionus plicatilis species complex Fontaneto, Diego; Giordani, Irene; Melone, Giulio; Serra, Manuel University of Milan; University of Valencia The taxonomic uncertainty surrounding cryptic species complexes has traditionally been resolved using lengthy experimental approaches, while, since the advent of PCR based techniques the number of cryptic species described in a variety of taxa is increasing steadily. Here we formally describe a new rotifer species of the Brachionus plicatilis complex Brachionus manjavacas n.sp., disentangling what was known as a morphological stasis. Detailed morphological analyses demonstrated significant differences in body shape and size between B. manjavacas and B. plicatilis s.s., analysed by geometric morphometrics; unfortunately these statistical differences are not taxonomically reliable because of wide overlaps. Size and asymmetry of masticatory apparatus, named trophi, observed by SEM, gave similar results, with taxonomic ambiguity. Only the shape of small pieces of the trophi, named satellites, were consistently different between the species. On a strictly classical taxonomical basis it is absolutely useful to name new species on morphological bases, as we did, and to assess their status as distinct entities. Nevertheless, the two species are broadly similar; therefore, we do not suggest using the small differences in shape of satellites of trophi to identify the species for further ecological studies, but to continue discriminating them on genetic marker bases. 583 Articolo in rivista Kluwer Academic Publishers 0018 8158 Hydrobiologia The Hague. Print Hydrobiologia The Hague. Print Hydrobiologia The Hague. Print Hydrobiologia. The Hague. Print Hydrobiologia Dordrecht The Hague. Print Hydrobiologia Boston The Hague. Print Hydrobiologia London The Hague. Print diego.fontaneto FONTANETO DIEGO |
