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<p>Understanding connectivity in high impact corallivores is crucial for coral reef management. The obligate corallivorous <i>Drupella cornus</i> (Röding, 1798) has caused extensive damage to some Indian Ocean coral reef areas in the last four decades. This study used novel and previously published Cytochrome Oxidase I (<i>COI</i>) sequences to reveal patterns of genetic diversity, phylogeography and connectivity within <i>D. cornus</i> across the Indian Ocean. The genetic compositions of the Western Australian <i>D. cornus</i> groups from Ningaloo Reef, Houtman Abrolhos Islands, and a recently discovered group at Rottnest Island, were analysed and compared to <i>D. cornus</i> groups from the western Indian Ocean (Tanzania and the Gulf of Eilat). The findings indicated that these groups all belong to the same species, except for a few individuals from Rottnest Island, which were excluded from subsequent analyses. No genetically distinct <i>D. cornus</i> groups along the Western Australian coastline were found, whereas molecular population differences were seen between the western Indian Ocean <i>D. cornus</i> groups and the Western Australian <i>D. cornus</i> groups. The molecular differences between the Western Australian and Tanzanian groups were statistically significant; however, there was evidence of historic connections and possibly also occasional long-distance gene flow between these groups. We hypothesise that high-density <i>D. cornus</i> outbreaks have played an important role in the dispersal of this species across Western Australia and, more broadly, the Indian Ocean. This is important as <i>Drupella</i> spp. outbreaks are being reported more frequently in the Indo-Pacific, affecting coral reef health and ecosystem function.</p>

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High levels of genetic connectivity in the corallivorous gastropod Drupella cornus (Rӧding, 1798) in an expanding latitudinal range along Western Australia

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年1月7日

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  • Veera M. Haslam,
  • Paige J. Maroni,
  • Jennifer A. Chaplin,
  • Cindy Bessey,
  • Mike van Keulen

摘要

Understanding connectivity in high impact corallivores is crucial for coral reef management. The obligate corallivorous Drupella cornus (Röding, 1798) has caused extensive damage to some Indian Ocean coral reef areas in the last four decades. This study used novel and previously published Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) sequences to reveal patterns of genetic diversity, phylogeography and connectivity within D. cornus across the Indian Ocean. The genetic compositions of the Western Australian D. cornus groups from Ningaloo Reef, Houtman Abrolhos Islands, and a recently discovered group at Rottnest Island, were analysed and compared to D. cornus groups from the western Indian Ocean (Tanzania and the Gulf of Eilat). The findings indicated that these groups all belong to the same species, except for a few individuals from Rottnest Island, which were excluded from subsequent analyses. No genetically distinct D. cornus groups along the Western Australian coastline were found, whereas molecular population differences were seen between the western Indian Ocean D. cornus groups and the Western Australian D. cornus groups. The molecular differences between the Western Australian and Tanzanian groups were statistically significant; however, there was evidence of historic connections and possibly also occasional long-distance gene flow between these groups. We hypothesise that high-density D. cornus outbreaks have played an important role in the dispersal of this species across Western Australia and, more broadly, the Indian Ocean. This is important as Drupella spp. outbreaks are being reported more frequently in the Indo-Pacific, affecting coral reef health and ecosystem function.