AUTHOR=Hosia Aino , Martell Luis , Mańko Maciej K. , Haddock Steven H. D. , Haberlin Damien , Mapstone Gillian M. 

TITLE=Unexpected diversity and novel lineages in the cosmopolitan genus Nanomia (Cnidaria: Siphonophorae: Physonectae)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1421514

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2024.1421514

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=<p>Integrated use of molecular and morphological methods reveals unexpected diversity in the cosmopolitan siphonophore genus <italic>Nanomia.</italic> Species delimitation analyses based on COI and 16S sequences suggest up to three distinct lineages in addition to the previously accepted <italic>Nanomia bijuga</italic> (Delle Chiaje, 1844) and <italic>N. cara</italic> A. Agassiz, 1865. Here, we describe the North Pacific <italic>Nanomia septata</italic> sp. n., previously confused with both <italic>N. cara</italic> and <italic>N. bijuga</italic>, and provide improved morphological characters for the identification of these three <italic>Nanomia</italic> species. Phylogenetic analyses suggest two additional, hitherto undescribed clades from Japanese and Chinese waters, respectively, but the lack of morphological material prevents describing these putative species. The geographic distribution of molecularly and/or morphologically verified observations confirm a warm circumglobal distribution for <italic>N. bijuga</italic> and a boreal North Atlantic distribution for <italic>N. cara.</italic> Interestingly, four distinct lineages occur in the North Pacific, sometimes in close proximity. These contrasting patterns of distribution raise questions about pelagic speciation processes.</p><p><italic>Nanomia septata</italic> sp. n.: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DAF15EA3-AFEA-4AE8-984F-BDFBCFE7E514</p><p>urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:478049FC-F672-4D34-ABAE-CF4345EC64D7</p>