CO1 Gene Research Articles

Phylogenetic of Sumatran Clarias batrachus based COI Gene

Clarias batrachus is a species of fish that can be found in Sundaland. The separation of Sundaland resulted in the separation of the islands, one of which was the island of Sumatra. The island of Sumatra is divided into west and east sides by the Bukit Barisan mountains. So, it is necessary to study the phylogenetic of C. batrachus. The CO1 gene is one of the mtDNA genes that can be used for phylogenetic studies. This study was conducted to determine the geographical relationship to the phylogenetic relationship of C. batrachus populations in Sumatra and other populations in Southeast Asia using the CO1 gene and the relationship between geographic isolation in the eastern and western watersheds of Sumatra. Based on 504 bp of C. batrachus CO1 gene sequence and 19 comparison sequences, three sub-clusters with two subspecies were formed.

Effect of precipitation on abundance and molecular diversity of potential vectors for Rift Valley fever virus in Nyandarua County, Kenya

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne viral zoonotic disease that causes significant economic and public health impacts in Kenya. Currently, there is inadequate information on rainfall patterns and mosquito diversity, including the dominant species in Nyandarua. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the rainfall patterns, relative abundance, and diversity of mosquito species that can transmit the RVF virus (RVFV) in Nyandarua. Mosquitoes were purposively collected from all the homesteads with suspect RVF cases in 10 villages using the CDC light trap during the dry (January 2021), long (July 2020), and short (November 2021) rainy seasons. Rainfall data was derived from the Climate-SERV satellite database. The mosquitoes were identified morphologically using a dissecting microscope and their identities, as well as genetic diversity, were determined using sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the CO1 gene. A total of 97, 328, and 366 mosquitoes were trapped during the dry, long and short rainy seasons, respectively. There was variation in the average daily rainfall between 2015 and 2021 during the three seasons. Of the mosquitoes trapped, 71 (9%) were males while 720 (91%) were females with 26 (4%) mosquitoes being blood-fed. During the three seasons, various species of mosquitoes including Culex pipiens (58%), Culex theileri (16%), Culex vansomereni (3%), Culex rima (2%), and Culex perexiguus (3%) were identified (Simpson index = 0.4). Culex pipiens was the most dominant species in this ecosystem (Shannon index = 1.2). We conclude that the anomalous variations in rainfall patterns may be correlated with the emergence of diverse species of mosquitoes that have the potential to transmit RVFV to animals in Nyandarua.

Distribution and phylogeographic patterns of intertidal oribatid mites along South African shores

A faunistic study of the intertidal oribatid mite fauna of South Africa’s coastline revealed the presence of four species from three families, namely Halozetes capensis (Podacaridae), Fortuynia elamellata micromorpha (Fortuyniidae), Schusteria ugraseni and Selenoribates divergens (Selenoribatidae). A specific biogeographic pattern was observed coinciding with suggested marine biogeographic ecoregions corresponding with the cold Benguela Current slowly drifting northwards on the west coast and the warm, rapidly southwestward moving Agulhas Current on the east coast. Halozetes capensis is confined to the southern cooler warm-temperate Agulhas region, F. e. micromorpha and Sch. ugraseni to the eastern warmer subtropical Natal Ecoregion and Sel. divergens to the northeastern tropical Delagoa Ecoregion. Furthermore, CO1 gene sequences of H. capensis showed isolated populations and a distinct genetic structuring, while F. e. micromorpha showed gene flow between all populations and thus no distinct structure. The paleoenvironmental history and the ocean currents may be responsible for the observed patterns. During the last glacial maximum, the colder climate and the weakening of the Agulhas Current possibly resulted in a bottleneck in the warm adapted Fortuynia populations, but the subsequent global warming allowed the populations to expand again. The cold-adapted Halozetes populations experienced no dramatic changes during this period and thus could persist in the Agulhas Ecoregion. Considering transport on ocean currents, the Agulhas Current on the east coast could be further responsible for connectivity between Fortuynia populations, but the deflection on the south-eastern coast could support the isolation of the Halozetes populations. It is difficult to determine how individual populations may be influenced by climate change, but in general, with global warming induced changes in sea surface temperatures, warm adapted fortuyniid and selenoribatids can be expected to expand their ranges southward, while the distribution of the cold adapted podacarid might be reduced to a few southwestern coastal areas.

DNA barcoding and delimitation of critically endangered indigenous and introduced tilapias (pisces cichlidae) of Pangani catchment, Northern Tanzania

The Pangani catchment of Northern Tanzania harbours the critically endangered endemic tilapias of the genus Oreochromis. The introduction of non-native congenerics and consequent hybridization complicates taxa identification and phylogeny based on morphological systematics. We therefore morphologically and molecularly identified these tilapias and delimited their Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) based on Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I (CO1) gene for future management and conservation. A total of 132 indigenous and introduced tilapia specimens were morphologically identified, barcoded using the CO1 gene and delimited by Kimura 2 Parameter distance approaches, Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD), Neighbour Joining (NJ) tree and haplotype analysis. Theoverall mean conspecific, congeneric and confamillial genetic distances based on the K2P model were 0.54%, 5.32% and 13.29% respectively. All taxa had a mean K2P distance < 2% and 90% (n = 10), were clearly delimited by the ABGD method. The NJ tree delimited tilapia taxa commensurate to the genetic distances depicted by DNA barcoding. However, DNA barcoding and NJ tree coherently failed to discriminate the morphologically distinct allopatric Oreochromis jipe and Oreochromis hunteri taxa. Moreover, the two methods depicted lack of monophyly in Oreochromis korogwe MOTUs implying that the taxon could consist of at least one MOTU. We conclude that the integration of morphological-based taxonomy and DNA barcoding among ichthyofaunal taxa herein will be invaluable in conservation and management of native tilapias in Pangani basin.

In Silico Evaluation of the Haplotype Diversity, Phylogenetic Variation and Population Structure of Human E. granulosus sensu stricto (G1 Genotype) Sequences.

Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato is the causative agent of cystic echinococcosis (CE), which is a neglected zoonotic disease with an important role in human morbidity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the haplotype diversity, genetic variation, population structure and phylogeny of human E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) (G1 genotype) isolates submitted to GenBank from different parts of the world by sequencing the mitochondrial CO1 and ND1 genes. The sequences of the mt-CO1 (401 bp; n = 133) and mt-ND1 (407 bp; n = 140) genes were used to analyze the haplotype, polymorphism and phylogenetic of 273 E. granulosus s.s. (G1 genotype) isolates. Mutations were observed at 31 different points in the mt-CO1 gene sequences and at 100 different points in the mt-ND1 gene sequences. Furthermore, 34 haplotypes of the mt-CO1 sequences and 37 haplotypes of the mt-ND1 sequences were identified. Tajima's D, Fu's Fs, and Fu's LD values showed high negative values in both mt-CO1 and mt-ND1 gene fragments. The haplotype diversities in the sequences retrieved from GenBank in this study indicate that the genetic variation in human isolates of E. granulosus s.s. in western countries is higher than in eastern countries. This may be due to demographic expansions due to animal trades and natural selections.

Leioproctus zephyr Prendergast (Hymenoptera, Colletidae, Leioproctus), an oligoletic new bee species with a distinctive clypeus

A new speciesLeioproctus zephyr(Hymenoptera: Colletidae) is described from both sexes.Leioproctus zephyrsp. nov.is remarkable in featuring a large longitudinal ridge on the clypeus. This diagnostic morphological feature present in both sexes, along with various other distinctive characters including the male genitalia, female hind-tibial spur, and glossa morphology, clearly distinguish this species from all otherLeioproctus. Along with these unique traits,L. zephyrcannot be classified into any of the existing subgenera ofLeioproctus, sharing some, but not all, of the characters of the subgeneraCeratocolletes,Charicolletes,ProtomorphaandOdontocolletes. DNA barcoding with the CO1 gene confirmed the sexes belonged to the same species and it did not match any previously barcoded species. This species is restricted to native vegetation remnants in the southwest Western Australian biodiversity hotspot, and is highly specialised, foraging only on a few species in the genusJacksonia(Fabaceae). The unusual clypeus may be an adaptation for foraging on the keeled papilionaceous flowers. The limited number of sites this species has been collected from and its oligolectic diet suggestL. zephyrshould be considered to be a species of conservation concern. Further taxonomic research is required to determine the phylogenetic position of this unusualLeioproctus.

Arthropod Community Responses Reveal Potential Predators and Prey of Entomopathogenic Nematodes in a Citrus Orchard

The contributions of soil arthropods to entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) food webs are mainly studied in artificial conditions. We investigated changes in arthropod communities in a citrus orchard following soil inundation with Steinernema feltiae or Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. We hypothesized that arthropod taxa, which decline or increase in response to EPN augmentation, represent potential prey or predators of EPN, respectively. Soil was sampled periodically after nematodes were applied, DNA was extracted from organisms recovered by sucrose centrifugation, libraries were prepared, and the ITS2 and CO1 genes were sequenced using Illumina protocol. Species from 107 microarthropod (mites and collembola) families and 121 insect families were identified. Amplicon sequence variant (ASV) reads for H. bacteriophora were less than 10% of those for S. feltiae three days after inundation, whereas microarthropod ASVs were double in plots with H. bacteriophora compared to those with S. feltiae. Significantly fewer microarthropod and insect reads in S. feltiae compared to untreated plots suggest the possibility that S. feltiae preyed on mites and Collembola in addition to insects. The responses over time of the individual microarthropod species (MOTU) suggest that regulation (up or down) of these EPN resulted from a cumulative response by many species, rather than by a few key species.

New records of Empididae and Hybotidae (Insecta: Diptera) from Hyrcanian forest in Iran and Azerbaijan

The genus Dolichocephala Macquart, 1823 of the family Empididae is recorded for the first time from Iran and Azerbaijan, including one species D. monae Joost, 1981. A neighbour-joining tree based on genetic divergences on the CO1 gene within nine species of Dolichocephala is provided. In addition, the genus Oropezella Collin, 1926 of the family Hybotidae (one species O. sphenoptera (Loew, 1873)) and two species of the subgenus Empis s. str. of the genus Empis Linnaeus, 1758 (E. (E.) earina Collin, 1960 and E. (E.) temryukiensis Kustov et Shamshev, 2013) of the family Empididae are reported for the first time from the territory of Iran. The female of E. (E.) temryukiensis is described for the first time.

Molecular Characterization of Animal Fasciola Spp. Isolates from Lorestan Province, Western Iran.

Background:We aimed to detect the genetic diversity of samples identified morphologically as Fasciola spp. from sheep, cattle and goat from Lorestan Province, western Iran using PCR-RFLP method. Besides, we evaluated the genetic diversity indices, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial gene (ND1 and CO1).Methods:PCR-RFLP analysis of ribosomal ITS1 fragment by RsaI restriction enzyme to investigate the genetic characteristics of Fasciola species obtained from different hosts (18 sheep, 21 cattle, and 17goats) was conducted. The samples were sequenced. Sequences were evaluated using BLAST software and the parasite species were identified with similarity percentage and overlap with the species registered in the gene bank. Then similarity and diversity of intra-species and intra-species diversity of Fasciola species were calculated.Results:In Lorestan, based on RFLP pattern, 93% (52) of the Fasciola spp. isolates had a RFLP pattern related to F. hepatica and 7% (4) were F. gigantica. No hybrid forms were detected. The CO1 gene could clarify 19 haplotypes against ND1 gene that found 22 haplotypes among livestock. Sequencing results of the mtDNA showed intra-species identity 98. 5%–100% and Intra-species-diversity: 0–1.5% compared to the GenBank sequences.Conclusion:Using PCR-RFLP method, two species of F. hepatica and F. gigantica, were present in Lorestan Province, but F. hepatica was more prevalent. Mitochondrial genes could better test variability indices in different hosts than ribosomal genes, consequently among mitochondrial genes, the ND1 gene could better examine differences and similarities than CO1.

Biological Characteristics of a Rare and Vulnerable Species (SCHIZOTHORAX ARGENTATUS (Kessler, 1874)) of TOKYRAUYN RIVER and Approbation of Its Artificial Reproduction

As a result of the complex impact of anthropogenic factors on the ecosystem of Balkhash Lake, the main commercial species of fish—endemic—Balkhash marinka was on the verge of extinction. Artificial reproduction is becoming increasingly important every year in the complex of works to maintain the commercial stocks of valuable fish species as well as to preserve rare and endangered populations. Despite the fact that attempts at artificial reproduction have been repeatedly made, to date no scientific and methodological basis has been created to study and preserve rare and endangered fish species in the Republic of Kazakhstan and there are no adapted technologies for the formation of repair herds of fish of this category for the fish breeding enterprises of the reproductive complex of Kazakhstan. The presence of a replacement stock of the Balkhash marinka will further contribute to the development and improvement of biotechnical methods for their breeding and cultivation of viable stocking material. The stocking of natural water bodies with viable fish seeds and the maintenance of living collections of rare and endangered fish species will contribute to their conservation in natural conditions and, as a reserve, in the country’s fish farms. The results of the development of effective technologies for artificial reproduction and the formation of a replacement stock of the Balkhash marinka in industrial conditions contribute to solving the fundamental problem associated with the preservation of rare and endemic fish species from complete extinction, genetic diversity and the rational use of the potential of natural populations. An analysis of genetic identification showed that the breeders of marinka, according to the results of sequencing the barcoding gene CO1 of mitochondrial DNA, belong to the species Balkhash marinka S. argentatus with an accuracy of 99–100%.

Identifikasi Genetik Udang Mantis Dengan Pendekatan DNA Barcoding Gen Sitokrom Oksidase 1 (CO1)

Mantis shrimp is one of the marine organisms that has a very abundant diversity of species. The similarity of morphology of this group make it difficult to identify morphologically. Therefore, identification was carried out using a DNA barcoding approach. The purpose of this study was to identify the mantis shrimp species from Manokwari waters using molecular techniques. The CO1 gene fragments were amplified by using LCO and HCO primers. The DNA sequences obtained were analyzed for homology, phylogeny, and genetic distance using MEGA X software. A total of 537 base pairs of CO1 gene fragments of mantis shrimp from Manokwari were obtained. The results of the homology analysis on GenBank, show the highest similarity of 91.18% with sequences from the genus Gonodactylus. Analysis of phylogenetic tree and genetic distance showed the same results and supported each other with homology analysis on GenBank data.

Molecular phylogeny of anchovy (Clupeiformes: Clupeidae) from southern waters of Lombok using mitochondrial DNA CO1 gene sequences

Abstract. Mahrus H, Idrus AA, Zulkifli L. 2022. Molecular phylogeny of anchovy (Clupeiformes: Clupeidae) from southern waters of Lombok using mitochondrial DNA CO1 gene sequences. Biodiversitas 23: 2433-2443. This study aimed to identify anchovy samples genetically and evaluate their phylogenetic relationship to anchovies using the CO1 genetics markers. Fragment amplification of COI gene anchovy used a pair of COI commercially available primer with a length amplicon of about 693 base pairs (bp), coding for 231 amino acids successfully. The reconstruction of the phylogenetic tree with the neighbor-joining (NJ) method using Kimura 2 Parameters (K2P) by employing a bootstrap of 1000 replications. The genetic distance analysis between 19 fishes species in different families and 13 species in the genera Spartelloides acceded from NCBI indicated the closest distance between anchovy samples from the southern waters of Lombok and Spratelloides delicatulus from Australia is 0.02. The comparisons results of homology with the NCBI and the BOLD database show the anchovy sample has similarities to the CO1 sequences of S. delicatulus with a similar of 99%. The results of the phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the anchovy samples from the southern waters of Lombok were in the same clade as S. delicatulus from Australia. The study concluded a fish sample of anchovy from the southerly waters of Lombok was a closed related species to S. delicatulus.

Sumatran tiger identification and phylogenetic analysis based on the CO1 gene: Molecular forensic application

Abstract. Ashrifurrahman, Simamora S, Ritonga R, Novarino W, Tjong DH, Rizaldi, Syaifullah, Roesma DI. 2022. Sumatran tiger identification and phylogenetic analysis based on the CO1 gene: molecular forensic application. Biodiversitas 23: 1788-1794. Wild animal hunting, especially in the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), has been caused the population decline. Regulation and law enforcement have been implemented even though it does not affect optimal because of the trickery of poachers and illegal traders. Sometimes, the evidence of P. t. sumatrae derivative products, for example, bones, nails, skins, hair, and other body parts, cannot be properly identified to raise the cases. However, genetic markers, such as the CO1 gene, have successfully identified illegal trafficking samples. This study used 20 samples, consisting of seven samples (four preserved hairs, two claws, one bone) that were suspected of P. t. sumatrae collected from illegal wildlife trade cases in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Other thirteen samples were twelve blood and one hair of P. t. sumatrae samples were collected from the Dharmasraya Sumatran Tiger Rehabilitation Center (PR-HSD). All samples were isolated, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), sequenced, and 999 base pairs (bp) of the CO1 gene sequences were analyzed. In addition, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) data sequences including two P. t. sumatrae sequences, four P. t. altaica sequences, one P. t. amoyensis sequence, one P. t. corbetti sequence, three P. pardus sequences, and one Felis catus sequence were collected for comparison and supporting data. The result confirmed that all samples in this study were P. t. sumatrae. We determined those depending on similarity value which was 99.60%-99.70% with P. tigris reference sequence (NC_010642.1) and 99.90%-100% with P. t. sumatrae (JF357969.1). Phylogenetic analysis supported species identification with average intraspecies sequence divergence was 0 to 0.4% and presented the monophyletic group. This study was the first and most recent report to use seized samples to identify P. t. sumatrae based on the CO1 gene in West Sumatra, Indonesia.

Complete mitochondrial genome sequencing and preliminary phylogenetic analysis of Chromis notata

Chromis notata (Temminck and Schlegel, 1843), commonly known as the pearl-spot chromis, is a damselfish that inhabits the northwestern region of the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea. Interestingly, C. notata has been found to have morphological variations depending on the geographical area of collection. However, because there are insufficient molecular studies on C. notata, in this study, we determined its complete mitochondrial genome using PCR and phylogenetic analyses. The mitochondrial genome of C. notata was found to be 16,600 bp long, which consisted of 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, and 1 control region (D-loop). The base composition was 27.6% A, 24.8% T, 31.0% C, and 16.6% G. A phylogenetic tree reconstructed with the neighbor-joining method depicted a clone relationship with seven species of family Pomacentridae and our previous study based on CO1 gene sequences. The complete mitochondrial genome is a valuable resource in classifying and conserving C. notata.

Ticks of domestic animals in Lesotho: Morphological and molecular characterization.

A total of 3311 tick specimens were randomly collected from domestic animals including cattle, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, and dogs from Lesotho districts namely, Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing and Thaba Tseka. Tick species were identified morphologically and verified by amplification and sequencing of the CO1 and 18S rRNA genes. Nine species were identified under different genera namely, Haemaphysalis elliptica 0.1% (n=2), Hyalomma rufipes 2.6% (n=87), Hy. truncatum 1.2% (n=41), Otobius megnini 13.6% (n=451), Rhipicephalus appendiculatus 0.1% (n=3), Rhipicephalus decoloratus 9.3% (n=308), Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi 65.1% (n=2156), Rhipicephalus glabroscutatum 1.3% (n=43) and Rhipicephalus microplus 6.6% (n=220). There was a significant difference at p=6.2E-06 (ꭓ2=1.923, df=7) in the distribution of tick species and their abundance p=0.04 (ꭓ2=1.923, df=7) from each population. The CO1 and 18S rRNA sequences matched the morphological determinations on the NCBI database and clustered with relevant species on the phylogenetic tree. Genetic analysis of CO1 and 18S rRNA provided very strong support for monophyly of the Rhipicephalinae and Ornithodorinae complexes. Both CO1 and 18S rRNA are useful genetic markers for the specific and generic characterization of tick species in Lesotho and elsewhere. This is the first scientific publication of tick species occurring in Lesotho.

Comparison between different populations of Nile Pufferfish (Tetraodon lineatus) in Lake Nasser, Aswan, Egypt using Mitochondrial CO1 gene

Comparison between different populations of Nile Pufferfish (Tetraodon lineatus) in Lake Nasser, Aswan, Egypt using Mitochondrial CO1 gene

Taxonomy and Phylogeny of Two Tintinnid Ciliates of Leprotintinnus (Protista, Ciliophora, Choreotrichida) Combining the Loricae, Cytological, Ontogenetic Features, and Barcoding Genes

Tintinnid ciliates are a highly diverse and essential group in the marine planktonic microbial loop. However, most of the known tintinnids were recorded only by the lorica characters and very few of them had been studied on their cytological features. In this study, the morphological characters of the lorica, ciliary pattern, nuclear apparatus, ontogenesis, and the molecular phylogeny of two poorly known tintinnid ciliates,Leprotintinnus nordqvisti(Brandt, 1906)Kofoid and Campbell (1929)andL. simplexSchmidt (1902), isolated from coastal waters of southern China, were investigated based on living observation, silver staining, three nuclear ribosomal DNA markers (18S, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, and 28S genes) and one mitochondrial DNA marker (CO1gene). For the first time, the somatic ciliary pattern of the genusLeprotintinnuswas disclosed,viz., comprising a ventral, a dorsal, and a posterior kinety as well as a right, a left, and a lateral ciliary field. The diagnoses of bothLeprotintinnusspecies were improved and the neotype was assigned. The ontogenesis ofL. nordqvistiwas in enantiotropic division mode with the new dorsal and posterior kineties generatedde novo. The molecular phylogeny confirmed thatLeprotintinnusspecies are closely related to some species ofTintinnopsis,Stylicauda,Rhizodomus, andClimacocylis. The anterior extending of the ventral kinety together with some of the lateral kinety is likely to be a distinguishing feature to determine their systematic relationships. This study also revealed that (i) the lorica ofL. nordqvistiis polymorphic or plastic; (ii)Leprotintinnus tubulosusRoxas (1941)might be a synonym ofL.nordqvisti; (iii)Leprotintinnus neriticussensuYoo et al. (1988)might be a misidentification ofL. simplex.

Phyllidiidae (Nudibranchia, Heterobranchia, Gastropoda): an integrative taxonomic approach including chemical analyses

Members of the widely distributed and common nudibranch family Phyllidiidae are often easily spotted in the marine environment because of their conspicuous colours and obvious presence on the reef. They are interesting with regard to their defensive chemical compounds that may lead to new drug discoveries. Despite their abundance, the family is also well known for its taxonomic problems and the difficulties in species identification due to very similarly coloured species and lack of morphological characters. In this study, phyllidiid species were analysed using an integrative approach. Molecular analysis of the mitochondrial genes 16S and CO1 was utilised, running phylogenetic analyses, species delimitation tests, and haplotype network analyses. Additionally, for the first time, external morphological characters were analysed, museum material was re-analysed, and chemical profiles were applied for characterising species. The analyses are based on sequences of 598 specimens collected in Indonesia by the team, with the addition of published sequences available on GenBank. This study comprises 11 species of Phyllidia, seven species of Phyllidiopsis, and at least 14 species of Phyllidiella. Moreover, 11 species belonging to these three genera are probably new to science, Phyllidiopsis pipeki is synonymised with P. krempfi, and Phyllidiella albonigra is resurrected. Some of the external colouration previously used for species identification is shown to not be valid, but alternative characters are provided for most species. Chemical analyses led to species characterisation in a few examples, indicating that these species use particular sponge species as food; however, many species show a broad array of compounds and are therefore characterised more by their composition or profile than by distinct or unique compounds.

The Phylosymbiosis Pattern Between the Fig Wasps of the Same Genus and Their Associated Microbiota.

Microbial communities can be critical for many metazoans, which can lead to the observation of phylosymbiosis with phylogenetically related species sharing similar microbial communities. Most of the previous studies on phylosymbiosis were conducted across the host families or genera. However, it is unclear whether the phylosymbiosis signal is still prevalent at lower taxonomic levels. In this study, 54 individuals from six species of the fig wasp genus Ceratosolen (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae) collected from nine natural populations and their associated microbiota were investigated. The fig wasp species were morphologically identified and further determined by mitochondrial CO1 gene fragments and nuclear ITS2 sequences, and the V4 region of 16S rRNA gene was sequenced to analyze the bacterial communities. The results suggest a significant positive correlation between host genetic characteristics and microbial diversity characteristics, indicating the phylosymbiosis signal between the phylogeny of insect hosts and the associated microbiota in the lower classification level within a genus. Moreover, we found that the endosymbiotic Wolbachia carried by fig wasps led to a decrease in bacterial diversity of host-associated microbial communities. This study contributes to our understanding of the role of host phylogeny, as well as the role of endosymbionts in shaping the host-associated microbial community.

Trophic markers and biometric measurements in Southern Ocean sea stars (1985-2017).

Sea stars (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) are a key component of Southern Ocean benthos, with 16% of the known sea star species living there. In temperate marine environments, sea stars commonly play an important role in food webs, acting as keystone species. However, trophic ecology and functional role of Southern Ocean sea stars are still poorly known, notably due to the scarcity of large-scale studies. Here, we report 24,332 trophic marker (stable isotopes and elemental contents of C, N, and S of tegument and/or tube feet) and biometric (arm length, disk radius, arm to disk ratio) measurements in 2,456 specimens of sea stars. Samples were collected between 12 January 1985 and 8 October 2017 in numerous locations along the Antarctic littoral and subantarctic islands. The spatial scope of the data set covers a significant portion of the Southern Ocean (47.717° S to 86.273° S; 127.767° W to 162.201° E; depth, 6-5,338 m). The data set contains 133 distinct taxa, including 72 currently accepted species spanning 51 genera, 20 families, and multiple feeding guilds/functional groups (suspension feeders, sediment feeders, omnivores, predators of mobile or sessile prey). For 505 specimens, mitochondrial CO1 genes were sequenced to confirm and/or refine taxonomic identifications, and those sequences are already publicly available through the Barcode of Life Data System. This number will grow in the future, as molecular analyses are still in progress. Overall, thanks to its large taxonomic, spatial, and temporal extent, as well as its integrative nature (combining genetic, morphological, and ecological data), this data set can be of wide interest to Southern Ocean ecologists, invertebrate zoologists, benthic ecologists, and environmental managers dealing with associated areas. Please cite this data paper in research products derived from the data set, which is freely available without copyright restrictions.