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Molecular and morphological delimitation of Australian Triops species (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Notostraca)—large diversity and little morphological differentiation

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Abstract

Australia has a very rich and diverse large branchiopod fauna with approximately 140 described or provisionally delimited species, but only one species of Triops, Triops australiensis (Spencer and Hall 1895), is currently recognized. Previous studies identified extensive genetic diversity within T. australiensis that suggested the presence of cryptic species. Herein, we employed an integrative approach to taxonomy to delimit putative species, integrating COI and EF1α sequence data and morphological data. Putative species were initially delimited based on COI by two computational approaches (GMYC and ABGD). The results were interpreted in the light of several species concepts, with particular emphasis on reproductive isolation. Twenty to 27 genetic lineages were delimited. Of these, up to 26 represent species following an evolutionary or phylogenetic species concept. Eighteen are biological species, though reproductive isolation could not be unambiguously established for allopatric species or species without known males. The level of co-occurrences was exceptionally high for Triops, with up to three syntopic and six sympatric species. Species delimitation was impeded by extensive overlap between intraspecific variability and interspecific variation in the genetic as well as morphological datasets. Without prior delimitation of putative species via COI, morphological delimitation would have been impossible. A potential explanation for the morphological variability is the retention of ancestral polymorphisms over long periods of time and across multiple speciation events without subsequent differentiation.

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Acknowledgments

We are particularly thankful to Prof Dr S. Richter (Universität Rostock) for his invaluable help and support in planning and conducting this study. We also like to thank Dr R. Bastrop (Universität Rostock), Dr D. C. Rogers (Kansas University) as well as Dr S. Keable and Dr G. D. F. Wilson (Australian Museum) for their support and patience and Dr A. Cardini (Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia) and Felix Quade (Universität Rostock) for their help with the morphometric analyses. A special thank goes to Dr B. Timms (Australian Museum and University of NSW) whose enthusiasm and support during fieldwork made this study possible. Two anonymous reviewers contributed valuable suggestions, which greatly improved the quality of this publication and for which we are very thankful. Martin Schwentner was financially supported by a scholarship provided by the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes. The study was financed by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through one grant granted to Prof Dr Stefan Richter (DFG RI 837/12-1,2) and another one granted to Martin Schwentner (DFG SCHW 1810/1-1).

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  1. Franziska Meusel

    Present address: Institut für Biologie, Vergleichende Zoologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstraße 13, Haus 2, 10115, Berlin, Germany

  2. Martin Schwentner

    Present address: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

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  1. Institut für Biowissenschaften, Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Universität Rostock, Universitätsplatz 2, 18055, Rostock, Germany

    Franziska Meusel & Martin Schwentner

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Meusel, F., Schwentner, M. Molecular and morphological delimitation of Australian Triops species (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Notostraca)—large diversity and little morphological differentiation. Org Divers Evol 17, 137–156 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-016-0306-2

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