Genetic identification of benthic polychaetes in a biodiversity hotspot in the southeast Pacific

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of COI, of the mitochondrial DNA, for the taxonomic determination of soft-bottom benthic polychaetes in the Chiloe Inner Sea as a particularly important zone for polychaete fauna of the southeast Pacific. The results show high genetic differentiation between morphological species of polychaetes (posterior probabilities upper 0.9), and Onuphis pseudoiridescens showed the greatest divergence (3.08 +/- 0.08 S. D.). The results support the role of the COI gene as a useful molecular marker for fast and accurate taxonomic determination of benthic polychaetes. This study leads the way for research on the biodiversity and systematics of polychaetes off the Chilean coast using molecular phylogenetic criteria.