Cryptic biodiversity and phylogeographic patterns of Seychellois Ligia isopods

Research on Ligia isopods at Aldabra Atoll and the Seychelles archipelago reveals the presence of highly divergent lineages, suggesting at least three novel species within this group. These findings indicate cryptic biodiversity and independent origins, challenging previous assumptions about species diversity in coastal invertebrates. The study employed mitochondrial and nuclear markers to analyze genetic diversity across inner and outer islands, uncovering distinct lineages closely related to known species complexes such as Ligia vitiensis and Ligia dentipes. This discovery highlights the potential for undocumented speciation events in Seychellois organisms, contributing to our understanding of phylogeographic patterns in highly biodiverse regions.

Santamaria, C. A., Bluemel, J. K., Bunbury, N., & Curran, M. (2017). Cryptic biodiversity and phylogeographic patterns of Seychellois Ligia isopods. PeerJ, 5, e3894. Portico. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3894