Feng-Jiau Lin

Evolution and phylogeny of the mud shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda) revealed from complete mitochondrial genomes

BackgroundThe evolutionary history and relationships of the mud shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda: Gebiidea and Axiidea) are contentious, with previous attempts revealing mixed results. The mud shrimps were once classified in the infraorder Thalassinidea. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses, however, suggest separation of the group into two individual infraorders, Gebiidea and Axiidea. Mitochondrial (mt) genome sequence and structure can be especially powerful in resolving higher systematic relationships that may offer new insights into the phylogeny of the mud shrimps and the other decapod infraorders, and test the hypothesis of dividing the mud shrimps into two infraorders.ResultsWe present the complete mitochondrial genome sequences of five mud shrimps, Austinogebia edulis, Upogebia major, Thalassina kelanang (Gebiidea), Nihonotrypaea thermophilus and Neaxius glyptocercus (Axiidea). All five genomes encode a standard set of 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and a putative control region. Except for T. kelanang, mud shrimp mitochondrial genomes exhibited rearrangements and novel patterns compared to the pancrustacean ground pattern. Each of the two Gebiidea species (A. edulis and U. major) and two Axiidea species (N. glyptocercus and N. thermophiles) share unique gene order specific to their infraorders and analyses further suggest these two derived gene orders have evolved independently. Phylogenetic analyses based on the concatenated nucleotide and amino acid sequences of 13 protein-coding genes indicate the possible polyphyly of mud shrimps, supporting the division of the group into two infraorders. However, the infraordinal relationships among the Gebiidea and Axiidea, and other reptants are poorly resolved. The inclusion of mt genome from more taxa, in particular the reptant infraorders Polychelida and Glypheidea is required in further analysis.ConclusionsPhylogenetic analyses on the mt genome sequences and the distinct gene orders provide further evidences for the divergence between the two mud shrimp infraorders, Gebiidea and Axiidea, corroborating previous molecular phylogeny and justifying their infraordinal status. Mitochondrial genome sequences appear to be promising markers for resolving phylogenetic issues concerning decapod crustaceans that warrant further investigations and our present study has also provided further information concerning the mt genome evolution of the Decapoda.

A new species of callianassid shrimp (Crustacea: Decapoda: Thalassinidea) from deep-water hydrothermal vents off Taiwan

ABSTRACT Nihonotrypaea thermophila, new species, is described on the basis of 26 specimens from a hydrothermally influenced field off northeastern Taiwan at depths of 128–320 m. This is the first callianassid shrimp to be reported from deep-water hydrothermal vents, and available data seems to suggest that the new species is vent-endemic. The new species is assigned to Nihonotrypaea Manning & Tamaki, 1998, a genus including three previously described species inhabiting coastal mud or sand flat areas in Japan and its adjacent waters. The new species is unique in the genus in having the antennal peduncle distinctly longer than the antennular peduncle.

New records for the axiid shrimp Eutrichocheles modestus (Herbst, 1796) with discussion on the genera Eutrichocheles Wood-Mason, 1876 and Paraxiopsis de Man, 1905 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Thalassinidea)

ABSTRACT New material discovered for the rare species Eutrichocheles modestus allows a detailed study and a comparison with its closely related congener, E. crosnieri Ngoc-Ho, 1998. The taxonomic status of Eutrichocheles Wood-Mason, 1876 and Paraxiopsis de Man, 1905 is discussed. The separation of the two, as proposed by Kensley (1996a), is accepted.