Research Article

Molecular and morphological evidence that Phymactis papillosa from Argentina is, in fact, a new species of the genus Bunodosoma (Cnidaria: Actiniidae)

Paula Braga Gomes^a1, Renata Schama^a2 p1 and Antônio Mateo Solé-Cava^a2 c1

^a1 Grupo de Pesquisa em Antozoários (GPA), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, R. Don Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, Recife, PE, 52.171-900, Brazil

^a2 Laboratório de Biodiversidade Molecular, Instituto de Biologia, CCS, Bloco A, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil

Abstract

Phymactis papillosa is a rocky shore sea anemone that is commonly found in the Pacific Ocean, from the Gulf of California to Tierra del Fuego, and in the Mar del Plata region, Argentina. The genus Phymactis is closely related to Bunodosoma and, due to character plasticity, a number of misidentifications have occurred. Therefore, the presence of P. papillosa in Argentina has been doubted but the matter had not been investigated in detail. Here we analyse P. papillosa specimens from Argentina and compare them, using molecular and morphological markers, to specimens from the species' type locality. In a phylogenetic analysis using 19 allozyme markers and ribosomal internal transcribed spacers sequences of different sea anemone genera, including all West Atlantic Bunodosoma species, we have found that the specimens from Argentina were genetically divergent from P. papillosa from Chile and closely related to West Atlantic Bunodosoma species. The genetic and morphological analyses indicate that those specimens belong to a new species of the genus Bunodosoma, described here as B. zamponii sp. nov.

(Received October 28 2011)

(Accepted November 06 2011)

(Online publication December 14 2011)

Keywords

• allozymes;
• ribosomal;
• internal transcribed spacer;
• phylogeny;
• specific status;
• Actiniaria;
• new species

Correspondence:

^c1 Correspondence should be addressed to: A.M. Solé-Cava, Laboratório de Biodiversidade Molecular, Instituto de Biologia, CCS, Bloco A, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil email: sole@biologia.com.br

^p1 Current address: Laboratório de Fisiologia e Controle de Artrópodes Vetores, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, IOC/FIOCRUZ, Avenida Brasil, 4365, Pavilhão Carlos Chagas, 5 andar, sala 18, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040–900, Brazil