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Who am I — and if so, how many? Species diversity of calcareous dinophytes (Thoracosphaeraceae, Peridiniales) in the Mediterranean Sea

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Abstract

The diversity of extant calcareous dinophytes (Thoracosphaeraceae, Dinophyceae) is not fully recorded at present. The establishment of algal strains collected at multiple localities is necessary for a rigorous study of taxonomy, morphology and evolution in these unicellular organisms. We collected sediment and water tow samples from more than 60 localities in coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Sea and documented 15 morphospecies of calcareous dinophytes. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) barcoding identified numerous species of the Scrippsiella trochoidea species complex that were genetically distinct, but indistinguishable in gross morphology (i.e. with the same tabulation patterns of the motile theca and similar spiny coccoid stages). We assessed a possible minimal number of cryptic species using ITS ribotype networks that indicated the existence of at least 21 species within the Scrippsiella trochoidea species complex. Species diversity of calcareous dinophytes appears higher in the Mediterranean Sea than in other parts of the world’s oceans such as the North Sea. Our data underline the importance of field work to record the diversity of calcareous dinophytes and other unicellular life forms.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Julia Daum, Patricia Silva Flores and Martina Rom-Roeske for their assistance during cultivation of the strains. Mona Hoppenrath (Bremerhaven) and Michael Schweikert (Stuttgart) gave valuable advices in methodologies. We thank two anonymous reviewers for constructive and motivating reviews of our manuscript. Financial support was provided by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grants KE 322/36, RI 1738/5, and WI 725/25), and the Münchener Universitätsgesellschaft, which is grateful acknowledged here.

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  1. Department Biologie, Systematische Botanik und Mykologie, GeoBio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Menzinger Str. 67, 80638, München, Germany

    Sylvia Soehner, Carmen Zinssmeister & Marc Gottschling

  2. Fachbereich Geologische Wissenschaften, Fachrichtung Paläontologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Malteserstraße 74-100, 12249, Berlin, Germany

    Sylvia Soehner & Carmen Zinssmeister

  3. Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Fachrichtung Historische Geologie / Paläontologie, Universität Bremen, Klagenfurter Straße, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Monika Kirsch

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  1. Sylvia Soehner
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Soehner, S., Zinssmeister, C., Kirsch, M. et al. Who am I — and if so, how many? Species diversity of calcareous dinophytes (Thoracosphaeraceae, Peridiniales) in the Mediterranean Sea. Org Divers Evol 12, 339–348 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-012-0109-z

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