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A taxonomic survey of Saudi Arabian Red Sea octocorals (Cnidaria: Alcyonacea)

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Abstract

A preliminary survey of Saudi Arabian Alcyonacea is presented, which combines classical taxonomy, multilocus molecular barcodes, and in situ photographs. We explored 14 locations along the west coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to assess the regional taxonomic diversity of non-gorgonian alcyonaceans. We collected samples from a total of 74 colonies, distributed among four families: 18 colonies of Alcyoniidae, 14 of Nephtheidae, 9 of Tubiporidae, and 33 of Xeniidae. We sequenced the octocorals using multiple nuclear [ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS) and ATP Synthetase Subunit α (ATPSα)] and mitochondrial [MutS homolog (mtMutS) and Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit one (COI)] loci, providing molecular barcodes which will: (1) allow direct comparison of biodiversity from this location to others for which molecular data are available, and (2) facilitate future identifications of these taxa. Finally, this preliminary phylogeny of sampled taxa provides insights on the resolution of mitochondrial versus nuclear loci, and highlights octocoral taxa that require further taxonomic attention.

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Acknowledgments

Support for this project came from the Binational Science Foundation #2008186 to Y.B., C.S.M. and R.J.T. and the National Science Foundation (NSF) OCE-0623699 to R.J.T. Fieldwork was funded in part by NSF grant OCE-0929031 to B.W. Bowen, NSF OCE-0623699 (R.J.T.), and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Red Sea Research Center (M.L.B.) We thank J. DiBattista, the KAUST Reef Ecology Lab, and Coastal and Marine Resources Core Lab for logistic assistance. Also, we thank members of the ToBo laboratory at the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, especially Zac Forsman, for guidance and advice with laboratory work and analyses, S. Hou and A. G. Young for assistance with sequencing nuclear genes, and A. Lee for assistance with sequencing the mitochondrial genes. This work was completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Masters of Science degree at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, and benefited from support and guidance of B.W. Bowen and D. Rubinoff.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Roxanne D. Haverkort-Yeh & Robert J. Toonen

  2. Department of Biology, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA, USA

    Catherine S. McFadden

  3. Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel

    Yehuda Benayahu & Anna Halász

  4. Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Michael Berumen

  5. Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Woods Hole, MA, USA

    Michael Berumen

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  1. Roxanne D. Haverkort-Yeh
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  2. Catherine S. McFadden
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  3. Yehuda Benayahu
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  4. Michael Berumen
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  5. Anna Halász
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  6. Robert J. Toonen
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Correspondence to Roxanne D. Haverkort-Yeh.

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Haverkort-Yeh, R.D., McFadden, C.S., Benayahu, Y. et al. A taxonomic survey of Saudi Arabian Red Sea octocorals (Cnidaria: Alcyonacea). Mar Biodiv 43, 279–291 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-013-0157-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-013-0157-4

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