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Sampling in Cuba was funded by the Carlsberg Foundation to KW (CF_0946 and CF2013_01_0501). Sampling in South Korea was funded by the Carlsberg Foundation to MVS (CF17-0054) and the National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR), Republic of Korea to TP (NIBR201501111). Sampling in Eilat was funded by the Evolution ASSEMBLE program (grant LOBATO 'Evolution of two enigmatic invertebrate families with proposed annelid affinity - The Lobatocerebridae and Nerillidae'). Sampling in Turks and Caicos was funded by the Peter Buck Fellowship Program to Brett C. Gonzalez. Sampling in Belize was funded by the Smithsonian Institution Marine Science Network to JN. Sampling in the Maldives was funded by the Carlsberg Foundation to KW (CF20_0690) and the National Geographic Society to Ole Bjorn Brodnicke (EC-75365R-21). Sampling in Bermuda was supported by the Bermuda Zoological Society (BBP113).

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Circumtropical distribution and cryptic species of the meiofaunal enteropneust Meioglossus (Harrimaniidae, Hemichordata)

Publicado en:Scientific Reports. 14 (1): 9296- - 2024-04-23 14(1), DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57591-0

Autores: Defourneaux, Eloise; Herranz, Maria; Armenteros, Maickel; Sorensen, Martin V; Norenburg, Jon L; Park, Taeseo; Worsaae, Katrine

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Hemichordata has always played a central role in evolutionary studies of Chordata due to their close phylogenetic affinity and shared morphological characteristics. Hemichordates had no meiofaunal representatives until the surprising discovery of a microscopic, paedomorphic enteropneust Meioglossus psammophilus (Harrimaniidae, Hemichordata) from the Caribbean in 2012. No additional species have been described since, questioning the broader distribution and significance of this genus. However, being less than a millimeter long and superficially resembling an early juvenile acorn worm, Meioglossus may easily be overlooked in both macrofauna and meiofauna surveys. We here present the discovery of 11 additional populations of Meioglossus from shallow subtropical and tropical coralline sands of the Caribbean Sea, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and East China Sea. These geographically separated populations show identical morphology but differ genetically. Our phylogenetic reconstructions include four gene markers and support the monophyly of Meioglossus. Species delineation analyses revealed eight new cryptic species, which we herein describe using DNA taxonomy. This study reveals a broad circumtropical distribution, supporting the validity and ecological importance of this enigmatic meiobenthic genus. The high cryptic diversity and apparent morphological stasis of Meioglossus may exemplify a potentially common evolutionary 'dead-end' scenario, where groups with highly miniaturized and simplified body plan lose their ability to diversify morphologically.

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