Symbiosis, hybridization, and speciation in Mediterranean octocorals (Octocorallia, Eunicellidae)
Abstract Understanding how species can form and remain isolated in the marine environment still stimulates active research. Here we study the differentiation and the possibility of hybridization among three temperate octocorals: Eunicella cavolini, Eunicella singularis, and Eunicella verrucosa. Morphologically intermediate individuals have been observed between them. Among these three species, E. singularis is the only one described in mutualistic symbiosis with photosynthetic Symbiodiniaceae. The symbiosis between Symbiodiniaceae and scleractinian corals is well studied, especially in the context of the response to anthropogenic climate change. Nevertheless, the potential role of symbiotic interactions in speciation processes remains unknown in cnidaria. We tested here the possibility of hybridization between symbiotic and non-symbiotic Eunicella species. Through multivariate analyses and hybrid detection, we prove the existence of on-going gene flow between E. singularis and E. cavolini, with the observation of F1 and F2 hybrids, and backcrosses. Demographic inferences indicate a scenario of secondary contact between these two species. Despite current gene flow, these two species appear genetically well differentiated. Our data also suggest an intermediate abundance of Symbiodiniaceae in the hybrids of the two parental populations. We discuss the evolution of the Symbiodiniaceae/cnidarian symbiosis in the light of our results.
Authors
- Lamya Chaoui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2833-6775)
- Jean‐Baptiste Ledoux (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8796-6163)
- Sarah Samadi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0725-9368)
- Cédric Cabau (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8560-4003)
- Dorian Guillemain
- Marc Bally
- Anne Haguenauer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2332-2929)
- Frédéric Zuberer
- Didier Aurelle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3922-7291)
- Stéphane Sartoretto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7152-6075)
- Rémi Lapeyre (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3525-0531)
- Pierre Pontarotti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7202-3648)
- Mohamed Hichem Kara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3634-3668)
Institutions
- Badji Mokhtar-Annaba University (DZ)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Université de Toulon (FR)
- Ifremer (FR)
- Inserm (FR)
- École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (FR)
- Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées (FR)
- Universidade do Porto (PT)
- Université de Montpellier (FR)
- Aix-Marseille Université (FR)
- Sorbonne Université (FR)
- Méditerranée Infection Foundation (FR)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR)
- IMU Institut (Germany) (DE)
- Montpellier GenomiX (FR)
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (FR)
- Délégation Régionale Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur et Corse (FR)
- Délégation Provence et Corse (FR)
- Génétique Physiologie et Systèmes d'Elevage (FR)
- Université des Antilles (GP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
- Published
- 2024-12-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blae116
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.46
Funders
- Aix-Marseille Université
- Equipex
- Institut Français de Bioinformatique
- European Genomic Institute for Diabetes
- European Commission
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle
- Région Occitanie Pyrénées-Méditerranée
- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia