The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Eurythenes atacamensis sp. nov. (Crustacea: Amphipoda) exhibits ontogenetic vertical stratification across abyssal and hadal depths in the Atacama Trench, eastern South Pacific Ocean

Eurythenes atacamensis sp. nov. (Crustacea: Amphipoda) exhibits ontogenetic vertical stratification across abyssal and hadal depths in the Atacama Trench, eastern South Pacific Ocean
Eurythenes atacamensis sp. nov. (Crustacea: Amphipoda) exhibits ontogenetic vertical stratification across abyssal and hadal depths in the Atacama Trench, eastern South Pacific Ocean

Eurythenes S.I. Smith in Scudder, 1882 (Crustacea: Amphipoda) are prevalent scavengers of the benthopelagic community from bathyal to hadal depths. While a well-studied genus, molecular systematic studies have uncovered cryptic speciation and multiple undescribed lineages. Here, we apply an integrative taxonomic approach and describe the tenth species, Eurythenes atacamensis sp. nov., based on specimens from the 2018 Atacamex and RV Sonne SO261 Expeditions to the southern sector of the Peru-Chile Trench, the Atacama Trench (24–⁠21°S). Eurythenes atacamensis sp. nov. is a large species, max. observed length 83.2 mm, possesses diagnostic features, including a short gnathopod 1 palm and a chelate gnathopod 2 palm, and a distinct genetic lineage based on a 16S rRNA and COI phylogeny. This species is a dominant bait-attending fauna with an extensive bathymetric range, spanning from 4974 to 8081 m. The RV Sonne SO261 specimens were recovered along a 10-station transect from abyssal to hadal depths and further examined for demographic and bathymetric-related patterns. Ontogenetic vertical stratification was evident across the trench axis, with only juveniles present at abyssal depths (4974–6025 m). Total length-depth analysis revealed that the size of females was unrelated to depth, whereas juveniles followed a sigmoidal relationship with a step-up in size at depths >7200 m. Thus, these bathymetric trends suggest that juveniles and females employ differing ecological strategies in subduction trench environments. This study highlights that even dominant and ecologically important species are still being discovered within the abyssal and hadal environments. Continued systematic expeditions will lead to an improved understanding of the eco-evolutionary drivers of speciation in the world’s largest ecosystem.

Cryptic species, Deep sea, Eurythenes key, Integrated taxonomy, New species, Peru-Chile Trench
1867-1616
Weston, Johanna N.J.
1ee831db-93cc-49b4-894f-0c30b20275b0
Espinosa-Leal, Liliana
168380f8-2500-483e-9ce4-63c9f8712f9c
Wainwright, Jennifer A.
f4737d26-955d-4388-a050-39d5738a2bce
Stewart, Eva C.D.
e33676c3-5ece-406b-91fd-dbd65912079d
González, Carolina E.
91111759-60f9-4cb4-a50f-60a40da41f18
Linley, Thomas D.
533697fa-7391-42ba-949c-2f491eb88fca
Reid, William D.K.
0a9d15c9-b621-4277-8e94-22e289ee24ef
Hidalgo, Pamela
03738443-9528-451b-8894-92348690b00c
Oliva, Marcelo E.
60afc521-345c-47ac-b1ee-4fc8ffdde53f
Ulloa, Osvaldo
12aa395b-9dd9-4837-9641-97798da9fa20
Wenzhöfer, Frank
972dd204-716c-4ca0-91d3-514afd6d3bf5
Glud, Ronnie N.
3f648522-ffed-4fff-8526-ba14c0e44821
Escribano, Rubén
39a3dfc9-9fb1-4d49-b842-db67284e66e2
Jamieson, Alan J.
ab7c9067-fe1d-47f9-921f-c57108b6f23c
Weston, Johanna N.J.
1ee831db-93cc-49b4-894f-0c30b20275b0
Espinosa-Leal, Liliana
168380f8-2500-483e-9ce4-63c9f8712f9c
Wainwright, Jennifer A.
f4737d26-955d-4388-a050-39d5738a2bce
Stewart, Eva C.D.
e33676c3-5ece-406b-91fd-dbd65912079d
González, Carolina E.
91111759-60f9-4cb4-a50f-60a40da41f18
Linley, Thomas D.
533697fa-7391-42ba-949c-2f491eb88fca
Reid, William D.K.
0a9d15c9-b621-4277-8e94-22e289ee24ef
Hidalgo, Pamela
03738443-9528-451b-8894-92348690b00c
Oliva, Marcelo E.
60afc521-345c-47ac-b1ee-4fc8ffdde53f
Ulloa, Osvaldo
12aa395b-9dd9-4837-9641-97798da9fa20
Wenzhöfer, Frank
972dd204-716c-4ca0-91d3-514afd6d3bf5
Glud, Ronnie N.
3f648522-ffed-4fff-8526-ba14c0e44821
Escribano, Rubén
39a3dfc9-9fb1-4d49-b842-db67284e66e2
Jamieson, Alan J.
ab7c9067-fe1d-47f9-921f-c57108b6f23c

Weston, Johanna N.J., Espinosa-Leal, Liliana, Wainwright, Jennifer A., Stewart, Eva C.D., González, Carolina E., Linley, Thomas D., Reid, William D.K., Hidalgo, Pamela, Oliva, Marcelo E., Ulloa, Osvaldo, Wenzhöfer, Frank, Glud, Ronnie N., Escribano, Rubén and Jamieson, Alan J. (2021) Eurythenes atacamensis sp. nov. (Crustacea: Amphipoda) exhibits ontogenetic vertical stratification across abyssal and hadal depths in the Atacama Trench, eastern South Pacific Ocean. Marine Biodiversity, 51 (3), [51]. (doi:10.1007/s12526-021-01182-z).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Eurythenes S.I. Smith in Scudder, 1882 (Crustacea: Amphipoda) are prevalent scavengers of the benthopelagic community from bathyal to hadal depths. While a well-studied genus, molecular systematic studies have uncovered cryptic speciation and multiple undescribed lineages. Here, we apply an integrative taxonomic approach and describe the tenth species, Eurythenes atacamensis sp. nov., based on specimens from the 2018 Atacamex and RV Sonne SO261 Expeditions to the southern sector of the Peru-Chile Trench, the Atacama Trench (24–⁠21°S). Eurythenes atacamensis sp. nov. is a large species, max. observed length 83.2 mm, possesses diagnostic features, including a short gnathopod 1 palm and a chelate gnathopod 2 palm, and a distinct genetic lineage based on a 16S rRNA and COI phylogeny. This species is a dominant bait-attending fauna with an extensive bathymetric range, spanning from 4974 to 8081 m. The RV Sonne SO261 specimens were recovered along a 10-station transect from abyssal to hadal depths and further examined for demographic and bathymetric-related patterns. Ontogenetic vertical stratification was evident across the trench axis, with only juveniles present at abyssal depths (4974–6025 m). Total length-depth analysis revealed that the size of females was unrelated to depth, whereas juveniles followed a sigmoidal relationship with a step-up in size at depths >7200 m. Thus, these bathymetric trends suggest that juveniles and females employ differing ecological strategies in subduction trench environments. This study highlights that even dominant and ecologically important species are still being discovered within the abyssal and hadal environments. Continued systematic expeditions will lead to an improved understanding of the eco-evolutionary drivers of speciation in the world’s largest ecosystem.

Text
s12526-021-01182-z - Version of Record
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
Download (3MB)

More information

Accepted/In Press date: 15 March 2021
Published date: 14 May 2021
Keywords: Cryptic species, Deep sea, Eurythenes key, Integrated taxonomy, New species, Peru-Chile Trench

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 482162
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/482162
ISSN: 1867-1616
PURE UUID: 5e0d1ed8-3842-4a43-a7de-a285b1319b4e
ORCID for Eva C.D. Stewart: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8383-5705

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 20 Sep 2023 16:44
Last modified: 11 May 2024 02:05

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Johanna N.J. Weston
Author: Liliana Espinosa-Leal
Author: Jennifer A. Wainwright
Author: Carolina E. González
Author: Thomas D. Linley
Author: William D.K. Reid
Author: Pamela Hidalgo
Author: Marcelo E. Oliva
Author: Osvaldo Ulloa
Author: Frank Wenzhöfer
Author: Ronnie N. Glud
Author: Rubén Escribano
Author: Alan J. Jamieson

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×