Morphological and phylogenetic data do not support the split of Alexandrium into four genera

Mertens KN 1 , Adachi M 2 , Anderson DM 3 , Band-Schmidt CJ 4 , Bravo I 5 , Brosnahan ML 3 Show all authors , Bolch CJS 6 , Calado AJ 7 , Carbonell-Moore MC 8 , Chomérat N 9 , Elbrächter M 10 , Figueroa RI 5 , Fraga S 11 , Gárate-Lizárraga I 12 , Garcés E 13 , Gu H 14 , Hallegraeff G 15 , Hess P 16 , Hoppenrath M 17 , Horiguchi T 18 , Iwataki M 19 , John U 20 , Kremp A 21 , Larsen J 22 , Leaw CP 23 , Li Z 24 , Lim PT 23 , Litaker W 25 , MacKenzie L 26 , Masseret E 27 , Matsuoka K 28 , Moestrup Ø 22 , Montresor M 29 , Nagai S 30 , Nézan E 31 , Nishimura T 26 , Okolodkov YB 32 , Orlova TY 33 , Reñé A 13 , Sampedro N 13 , Satta CT 34 , Shin HH 35 , Siano R 36 , Smith KF 26 , Steidinger K 37 , Takano Y 38 , Tillmann U 20 , Wolny J 39 , Yamaguchi A 18 , Murray S 40

Affiliations 

  • 1 Ifremer, LER BO, Station de Biologie Marine, Place de la Croix, BP40537, F-29185 Concarneau Cedex, France. Electronic address: Kenneth.mertens@ifremer.fr
  • 2 Laboratory of Aquatic Environmental Science (LAQUES), Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, 200 Otsu, Monobe, Nankoku, Kochi 783-8502, Japan
  • 3 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
  • 4 Departamento de Plancton y Ecología Marina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (IPN-CICIMAR), La Paz, B.C.S. 23096, Mexico
  • 5 Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Subida a Radio Faro 50, 36390 Vigo, Spain
  • 6 Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Locked Bag 1370, Launceston TAS 7250, Australia
  • 7 Department of Biology and GeoBioTec Research Unit, University of Aveiro, P-3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
  • 8 Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, College of Agricultural Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-2902, USA
  • 9 Ifremer, LER BO, Station de Biologie Marine, Place de la Croix, BP40537, F-29185 Concarneau Cedex, France
  • 10 Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung Sylt, Hafenstr. 43, 25992 List/Sylt, Germany
  • 11 Praza Mestra Manuela 1, 36340 Nigrán, Spain
  • 12 Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Apartado Postal 592, Col. Centro, La Paz, B.C.S. 23000, Mexico
  • 13 Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografía, Institut de Ciències del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
  • 14 Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
  • 15 Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
  • 16 Ifremer, DYNECO, Laboratoire Phycotoxines, Rue de l'Ile d'Yeu, 44311 Nantes, France
  • 17 Senckenberg am Meer, German Center for Marine Biodiversity Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
  • 18 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, North 10, West 8, Sapporo 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan
  • 19 Asian Natural Environmental Science Center, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
  • 20 Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany
  • 21 Leibniz Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde, Seestr. 15, 18119 Rostock, Germany
  • 22 Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 4, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
  • 23 Bachok Marine Research Station, Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya, 16310 Bachok, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • 24 Biological Resource Center/Korean Collection for Type Cultures (KCTC), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Jeongeup 56212, Republic of Korea
  • 25 CSS Inc. Under contract to NOS/NOAA, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research, 101 Pivers Island Road, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
  • 26 Coastal & Freshwater Group, Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2, 98 Halifax Street East, Nelson 7042, New Zealand
  • 27 MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
  • 28 C/O Institute for East China Sea Research, Nagasaki University, 1551-7 Taira-machi, Nagasaki 851-2213, Japan
  • 29 Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
  • 30 National Research Institute of Fisheries Science, 2-12-4 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-8648, Japan
  • 31 Ifremer, LER BO, Station de Biologie Marine, Place de la Croix, BP40537, F-29185 Concarneau Cedex, France; National Museum of Natural History, DGD-REVE, Station de Biologie Marine de Concarneau, Place de la Croix, 29900 Concarneau, France
  • 32 Universidad Veracruzana, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Pesquerías, Laboratorio de Botánica Marina y Planctología, Calle Mar Mediterráneo No. 314, Fracc. Costa Verde, C.P. 94294 Boca del Río, Veracruz, Mexico
  • 33 A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Palchevskogo Street, 17, Vladivostok 690041, Russia
  • 34 Dipartimento di Architettura, Design e Urbanistica, University of Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100 Sassari, Italy
  • 35 Library of Marine Samples, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, Republic of Korea
  • 36 Ifremer, DYNECO, PELAGOS, F-29280 Plouzané, France
  • 37 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 8th Avenue SE St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
  • 38 Faculty of Science and Technology, Kochi University, Japan
  • 39 Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 1919 Lincoln Drive Annapolis, MD 21401 USA
  • 40 Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
Harmful Algae, 2020 09;98:101902.
PMID: 33129459 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2020.101902

Abstract

A recently published study analyzed the phylogenetic relationship between the genera Centrodinium and Alexandrium, confirming an earlier publication showing the genus Alexandrium as paraphyletic. This most recent manuscript retained the genus Alexandrium, introduced a new genus Episemicolon, resurrected two genera, Gessnerium and Protogonyaulax, and stated that: "The polyphyly [sic] of Alexandrium is solved with the split into four genera". However, these reintroduced taxa were not based on monophyletic groups. Therefore this work, if accepted, would result in replacing a single paraphyletic taxon with several non-monophyletic ones. The morphological data presented for genus characterization also do not convincingly support taxa delimitations. The combination of weak molecular phylogenetics and the lack of diagnostic traits (i.e., autapomorphies) render the applicability of the concept of limited use. The proposal to split the genus Alexandrium on the basis of our current knowledge is rejected herein. The aim here is not to present an alternative analysis and revision, but to maintain Alexandrium. A better constructed and more phylogenetically accurate revision can and should wait until more complete evidence becomes available and there is a strong reason to revise the genus Alexandrium. The reasons are explained in detail by a review of the available molecular and morphological data for species of the genera Alexandrium and Centrodinium. In addition, cyst morphology and chemotaxonomy are discussed, and the need for integrative taxonomy is highlighted.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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