WoRMS source details
| SourceID | 142453 | ||||||
| Name | Bentlage, B., P. Cartwright, A. A. Yanagihara, C. Lewis, G. S. Richards, & A. G. Collins (2010). Evolution of box jellyfish (Cnidaria: Cubozoa), a group of highly toxic invertebrates. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 277(1680), 493 - 501. | ||||||
| Type | Publication | ||||||
| Abstract | Cubozoa (Cnidaria: Medusozoa) represents a small clade of approximately 50 described species, some of which cause serious human envenomations. Our understanding of the evolutionary history of Cubozoa has been limited by the lack of a sound phylogenetic hypothesis for the group. Here, we present a comprehensive cubozoan phylogeny based on ribosomal genes coding for near-complete nuclear 18S (small subunit) and 28S (large subunit) and partial mitochondrial 16S. We discuss the implications of this phylogeny for our understanding of cubozoan venom evolution, biogeography and life-history evolution. Our phylogenetic hypothesis suggests that: (i) the last common ancestor of Carybdeida probably possessed the mechanism(s) underlying Irukandji syndrome, (ii) deep divergences between Atlantic and Indo-Pacific clades may be explained by ancient vicariant events, and (iii) sexual dimorphism evolved a single time in concert with complex sexual behaviour. Furthermore, several cubozoan taxa are either para- or polyphyletic, and we address some of these taxonomic issues by designating a new family, Carukiidae, a new genus, Copula, and by redefining the families Tamoyidae and Tripedaliidae. Lastly, cubozoan species identities have long been misunderstood and the data presented here support many of the recent scientific descriptions of cubozoan species. However, the results of a phylogeographic analysis of Alatina moseri from Hawai’i and Alatina mordens from Australia indicate that these two nominal species represent a single species that has maintained metapopulation cohesion by natural or anthropogenic dispersal. | ||||||
| Taxa (6) | Alatina mordens Gershwin, 2005 accepted as Alatina moseri (Mayer, 1906) (source of synonymy) Alatina moseri (Mayer, 1906) (additional source) Carukiidae Bentlage, Cartwright, Yanagihara, Lewis, Richards & Collins (original description) Carybdea mora Kishinouye, 1910 accepted as Carybdea brevipedalia Kishinouyea, 1891 (source of synonymy) Carybdea sivickisi Stiasny, 1926 represented as Copula sivickisi (Stiasny, 1926) (new combination reference) Copula Bentlage, Cartwright, Yanagihara, Lewis, Richards & Collins, 2010 (original description) | ||||||
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