Molecular taxonomy in 2D: a novel ITS2 rRNA sequence-structure approach guides the description of the oysters' subfamily Saccostreinae and the genusMagallana(Bivalvia: Ostreidae)

• DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12455
• Publication Date: 2016-07-04T12:21:14Z
• Authors: Daniele Salvi; Paolo Mariottini
• Keywords: Subfamily

Molecular approaches have contributed to a drastic reconsideration of organisms' systematics and evolution especially in some groups bivalves where high levels phenotypic plasticity hampered morphology-based assessments. However, these insights rarely been integrated into taxonomy classification due the challenge taxon description based on DNA data alone. In this study we used, for first time, an approach ITS2 rRNA sequence-structure diagnosis new oyster taxa identified multi-locus phylogenetic analyses including molecular Striostrea Vialov, 1936. Phylogenetic diagnostic characters supported Ostreidae Rafinesque, 1815 with four subfamilies: Crassostreinae Scarlato & Starobogatov, 1979 (including Crassostrea Sacco, 1897, Talonostrea Li Qi, 1994, Magallanagen. nov.), Saccostreinae subfam. nov. Saccostrea Dollfus Dautzenberg, 1920), Striostreinae Harry, 1985 Striostrea) Ostreinae remaining genera). We provide formal subfamily genus nov., Striostreinae, suggest reclassification circumpicta (Pilsbry, 1904) zhanjiangensis Wu, Xiao Yu, 2013 as Ostrea zhanjiangensiscomb. respectively. This demonstrates suitability taxonomic description. The advantages such context cryptic are discussed.