Capitella (Annelida: Capitellidae) species in the Gulf of Mexico: Delimitation, phylogeography and phylogeny

Abstract

Capitella spp. are found in marine and estuarine benthos world-wide. They are often treated as environmental sentinels because they occur in high densities in areas of anthropogenic disturbance and organic pollution. However, there are many cryptic species around the world, often grouped into the Capitella capitata complex. Historically, these have been differentiated using allozymes and developmental studies. Recently, single-gene sequencing, especially cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, and phylogenetic methods have been used to characterise populations around the world. We present molecular support and provide descriptions for five new Capitella spp. from the Gulf of Mexico: Capitella gomexa sp. n., Capitella mandingensis sp. n., Capitella tampe sp. n., Capitella maculosa sp. n. and Capitella loucindae sp. n. Two were recently differentiated on the basis of larval development and morphology. Additionally, we present an updated look at global Capitella phylogeny. While no apparent patterns of phylogeography were recovered, we did find support for a single origin of thoracic acicular spines.