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Four genes, morphology and ecology: distinguishing a new species of Acesta (Mollusca; Bivalvia) from the Gulf of Mexico

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Abstract

There is currently an active scientific debate about the most correct and efficient way to identify species. To date, few studies in the marine realm have combined the available taxonomic methods. In this study we have used morphology, ecology and molecular analyses to identify a new species within the bivalve genus Acesta. All four genes studied (12S, 16S, Cytb, COI) suggested that a common cold-seep species in the Gulf of Mexico, A. bullisi, should be divided into two distinct species. This conclusion was supported by morphological traits and by observations of ecological distribution. A. oophaga Järnegren, Schander and Young n. sp. is described here, and A. bullisi Vokes (Tulane Stud Geol 2:75–92, 1963) is re-described. This study shows that DNA barcoding in combination with traditional morphological and ecological analyses may be an important tools to identify hidden biodiversity among deep-water organisms such as bivalves.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the captains and crew of R/V Seward Johnson I and II, Johnson Sea-Link I and II, R/V Harry Borthen I and R/V Hans Brattström. Paula Mikkelsen, American Museum of Natural History, New York for providing us with tissue from Acesta columbiana. Sandra Brooke and Tracy Smart for collection of Acesta bullisi. Henrik Jensen, Endre Willassen and Torkild Bakken are thanked for constructive comments on earlier versions of the MS. The project was funded by grants from the Meltzer foundation, University of Bergen and The Swedish Research Council (to CS), Norwegian University of Science and Technology and The Norwegian Research Council (to JJ), Grant OCE-0118733 from the National Science Foundation and NOAA/NURP Wilmington, the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration (to CMY). The experiments comply with the current laws of Norway and USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 7485, Trondheim, Norway

    Johanna Järnegren

  2. Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondhjem Biological Station, 7491, Trondheim, Norway

    Johanna Järnegren & Jon-Arne Sneli

  3. Centre for Geobiology, University of Bergen, Allegaten 41, 5007, Bergen, Norway

    Christoffer Schander

  4. Department of Biology, University of Bergen, P.O. Box 7800, 5020, Bergen, Norway

    Christoffer Schander & Vera Rønningen

  5. Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon, P.O. Box 5389, Charleston, OR, 97420, USA

    Craig M. Young

Authors
  1. Johanna Järnegren
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  2. Christoffer Schander
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  3. Jon-Arne Sneli
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  4. Vera Rønningen
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  5. Craig M. Young
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Johanna Järnegren.

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Communicated by M. Kühl.

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Järnegren, J., Schander, C., Sneli, JA. et al. Four genes, morphology and ecology: distinguishing a new species of Acesta (Mollusca; Bivalvia) from the Gulf of Mexico. Mar Biol 152, 43–55 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-007-0651-y

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