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A new species rises from beneath Florida: molecular phylogenetic analyses reveal cryptic diversity among the metapopulation of Crangonyx hobbsi Shoemaker, 1941 (Amphipoda: Crangonyctidae)

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Abstract

The phylogenetic structure of 23 populations of Crangonyx hobbsi, a stygobitic amphipod species endemic to the Floridan aquifer, is detailed. Molecular genetic analyses (based on three genes the nuclear 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, and mitochondrial 16S rDNA) point to the presence of at least two phylogenetic clades within the aquifer. These clades align into two major zoogeographic regions, the Northern Suwannee River Basin and the Coastal and Central Lowlands in the Florida peninsula. Three species delimitation models indicate that the Northern Suwannee River Basin Clade represents a species level differentiation from C. hobbsi sensu stricto. Morphological analyses support the molecular analyses, revealing the presence of several taxonomically significant differences between the two species, including presence/absence of calceoli on the second antennae of males and differences in telson shape in both sexes. Additionally, the molecular diversity of C. hobbsi sensu stricto was shown to be surprisingly variable, suggesting the potential presence of additional diversity within the taxon.

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The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank Paul Moler, Deanne Moler, Michael Stine, Bonnie Stine, Bobby Scharping, Jim Garey, A.J. Gonzalles, Jared Defoe, Eric Deister and the members of Karst Underwater Research (KUR), and Casey McKinlay and the members of the Woodville Karst Plain Project (WKPP) for their assistance with collection efforts throughout the state. We also thank the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and state park rangers and staff for their courtesy and professionalism. We are grateful to Dr. Richard Long for his advice on the molecular aspects of this study. We thank two anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback.

Funding

Funding for this project was by the State of Florida, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, State Wildlife Grants No.15044, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Award no. FL-T-F15AF00394.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, 1601, S Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Tallahassee, FL, USA

    Andrew G. Cannizzaro & Thomas R. Sawicki

  2. Department of Natural Sciences, Middle Georgia State University, 100 University Pkwy, Macon, GA, USA

    Donna Balding

  3. Division of Invertebrate Zoology, Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, 170 Whitney Ave, New Haven, CT, USA

    Eric A. Lazo-Wasem

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  1. Andrew G. Cannizzaro
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Cannizzaro, A.G., Balding, D., Lazo-Wasem, E.A. et al. A new species rises from beneath Florida: molecular phylogenetic analyses reveal cryptic diversity among the metapopulation of Crangonyx hobbsi Shoemaker, 1941 (Amphipoda: Crangonyctidae). Org Divers Evol 20, 387–404 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-020-00433-4

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