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Morphological variability of the “Caribbean hidden anemone” Lebrunia coralligens (Wilson, 1890)

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Abstract

Lebrunia coralligens is among the most common sea anemone species found inhabiting in coral reefs environments along the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. This species exhibit two distinct morphotypes characterized mainly by differences in the location of vesicles on its pseudotentacles. The morphology and cnidae size ranges between representatives of the two morphotypes, as well as with those from specimens of its congeners Lebrunia neglecta, were compared to identify taxonomic distinctions that would enable separation of the morphotypes into different species. Statistical variability in specimens and cnidae size ranges was found between the two morphotypes, but a greater variability was found when compared with cnidae size ranges of L. neglecta. These results suggest that pseudotentacular form and cnidae size differences are due to broad phenotypic plasticity within L. coralligens. In addition, results also suggest that quantitative comparisons of cnidae could reinforce the taxonomic distinction of closely related species as L. coralligens and L. neglecta.

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Acknowledgements

The first author is grateful to the Programa de Becas Postdoctorales of the Comisión Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT, Grant 232318). All specimens were collected under consent of Mexican law, collecting permit approved by Comisión Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca (Number 07332.250810.4060). We thank the Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP) and the staff at the Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Puerto Morelos and the Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano for their helpful assistance during field work. Dr. Horacio Pérez-España (Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Pesquerías de la Universidad Veracruzana), and Dr. Nuno Simões Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Sisal (UNAM-Sisal) provided support for field work; M.S. Maribel Badillo-Alemán (UNAM-Sisal) provided access and support to histological facilities; M.S. Gemma Martínez-Moreno and Dr. Patricia Guadarrama-Chávez (UNAM-Sisal) helped with lab work and provided support in the microscopy lab; M.S. Alfredo Gallardo-Torres (UNAM-Sisal), B.S. Alejandro Córdova (UNAM-FES-I) helped in the field; and Carlos Hernández (Universidad de Oriente, Venezuela) for its valuable comments. Comments of two anonymous referees improved this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ricardo González-Muñoz.

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González-Muñoz, R., Garese, A., Tello-Musi, J.L. et al. Morphological variability of the “Caribbean hidden anemone” Lebrunia coralligens (Wilson, 1890). Zoomorphology 136, 287–297 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-017-0352-0

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