A supermale clone star: extensive clonality of Coscinasterias tenuispina in the Western Mediterranean sea.”
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1
Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Ecologia Marina, Spain
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2
Universitat de Barcelona, Departament de Biologia Animal, Spain
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3
University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, United States
The starfish Coscinasteris teunispina is widely distributed across the temperate and sub-tropical habitats at both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and throughout the Mediterranean Sea. This species is characterised by high rates of asexual reproduction through fission. In a survey to explore the prevalence of asexual reproduction and its effect on the genetic structure and diversity of populations along the Iberian Peninsula, Western Mediterranean, we genotyped five different populations along 900 km of the coastline with 12 microsatellite loci. Three of these populations we temporarily monitored (between 2010-2011 and 2014) to determine whether new genotypes appeared or disappear over time We additionally analysed gonads of the specimens collected to determine sex-rates. Our results demonstrated that most populations along the Western Mediterranean are composed by an unique genotype. Most specimens also lacked gonads, and when appearing were mainly immature testes. These findings suggest that populations of C. tenuispina along this large geographical area are mainly maintained by asexual reproduction of male specimens. This interesting result however opens more questions about the future maintenance of populations lacking genetic diversity under potential environmental shifts, and how the species disperses across large distances when lacking a larval dispersal stage.
starfish, asexual reproduction, fissiparity, clonality, genetics
Acknowledgements
We are very thankful for the funding of Spanish Goverment Project CTM2010-22218 and CTM2013-48163
Keywords:
Starfish,
asexual reproduction,
fissiparity,
clonality,
Genetics
Conference:
XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies, Porto, Portugal, 5 Sep - 9 Sep, 2016.
Presentation Type:
Oral Presentation
Topic:
1. ECOLOGY, BIODIVERSITY AND VULNERABLE ECOSYSTEMS
Citation:
Campos-Canet
M,
Garcia-Cisneros
A,
Palacín
C and
Pérez-Portela
R
(2016). A supermale clone star: extensive clonality of Coscinasterias tenuispina in the Western Mediterranean sea.”.
Front. Mar. Sci.
Conference Abstract:
XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies.
doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2016.05.00012
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Received:
29 Apr 2016;
Published Online:
02 Sep 2016.
*
Correspondence:
Mrs. Marta Campos-Canet, Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Ecologia Marina, Barcelona, Spain, marta_26_3@hotmail.com