Your new experience awaits. Try the new design now and help us make it even better

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Mar. Sci.

Sec. Marine Evolutionary Biology, Biogeography and Species Diversity

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1602823

Species Identity and Spatial Patterns of Common Oysters at Oyster Reefs of Guangdong, China

Provisionally accepted
  • 1South China Sea Environmental Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Administration, Guangzhou, China
  • 2Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR China
  • 3South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

As concerns mount over the threats facing oyster reefs, awareness of the need to mitigate habitat loss and restore ecosystem services is increasing. However, challenges in identifying oysters have limited our understanding of their species-and population-level diversity, complicating efforts to establish effective marine protected areas. Therefore, this study aims to address these challenges by conducting a comprehensive survey along the coastline of Guangdong Province to assess the species composition and spatial distribution of oyster reefs across 51 intertidal sites, such as estuaries, islands, oyster farms, mudflats, and mangroves. Methods: In total, we collected 742 oyster specimens by qualitative survey for oyster distribution and generated approximately 1,400 mitochondrial DNA sequences (N = 693 for 16S rRNA and N=706 for cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) to support genetic analysis. More than 30000 oysters sample collected by quantitative survey were applied to analyze the oyster assemblages. Results: The analyses revealed 12 mitochondrial lineages representing three genera within the family Ostreidae. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed robust monophyletic groupings, confirming species identities and leading to the identification of two cryptic 删除了: species within the genus Saccostrea. Based on DNA evidence, these two cryptic Saccostrea species were closely related to the known S. non-mordax D and H lineages. Quantitative analysis showed that Crassostrea sikamea was the most prevalent species in the study area, with an average abundance and biomass > 1,400 individuals/m 2 and 4,449 grams/m 2 , respectively. Qualitative and quantitative assessment both revealed at least 6 species were identified at G07 (Jieyang), being the most biodiverse location of Guangdong Province. Discussion: By mapping oyster distribution and updating the species inventory, our study provides a foundation for future research on oyster populations and informs conservation efforts aimed at preserving and restoring oyster habitats, thereby supporting marine biodiversity.

Keywords: Oyster reef, Species identification, Biodiversity, Spatial pattern, cryptic species

Received: 30 Mar 2025; Accepted: 04 Aug 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Zihua, Qiu, Chen, Qiu, Zhang and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Jinghuai Zhang, South China Sea Environmental Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Administration, Guangzhou, 510310, China

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.