Marine invertebrate diversity in the oceanic Ogasawara Islands: a molecular examination of zoanthids (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia) and theirSymbiodinium(Dinophyceae)

A molecular examination of zoanthids (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia) and their symbiotic algae (Symbiodinium spp.) in the Ogasawara Islands reveals a lower diversity of zoanthid species (n=5) compared to similar latitudes, such as the Okinawa Islands. The study identified five species, including Zoanthus sansibaricus, Z. kuroshio, Palythoa tuberculosa, P. mutuki, and a potentially undescribed Palythoa species. Notably, while most specimens harbored clade C Symbiodinium, one Z. kuroshio specimen was associated with clade A, and no Z. sansibaricus colonies contained the expected C1z type zooxanthellae. The findings suggest that the Ogasawara Islands' marine fauna more closely resembles that of northern Izu Islands than other Indo-Pacific regions. This research combines in situ field observations with DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analyses to provide novel insights into the biodiversity and symbiosis patterns of oceanic islands.

Reimer, J. D., Hirose, M., Yanagi, K., & Sinniger, F. (2011). Marine invertebrate diversity in the oceanic Ogasawara Islands: a molecular examination of zoanthids (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia) and theirSymbiodinium(Dinophyceae). Systematics and Biodiversity, 9(2), 133–143. https://doi.org/10.1080/14772000.2011.569034