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Background <p>Adaptive radiation often involves ecological and morphological diversification, influenced by environmental opportunities, such as symbiotic interactions. Sponge-associated barnacles have evolved specialized traits, such as modified shells, to thrive within sponge hosts. However, the evolutionary mechanisms driving their diversification and host specificity remain unclear.</p> Results <p>We integrate molecular phylogenetics (12S, 16S, 18S, COI, H3), detailed morphology, and ecological assessment to examine how host usage influences sponge-associated barnacle diversification. Our findings reveal two primary barnacle clades: Membranous-Base (M-Base) and Calcareous-Base (C-Base), each exhibiting distinct morphological adaptations. Most of the species exhibit strong host specificity being specialists within particular sponges. However, there is no significant correlation between morphology and host specificity, nor a clear co-evolutionary pattern with sponge hosts. These results challenge the assumption that host-driven specialization alone explains diversification.</p> Conclusions <p>Our findings suggest that sponge-associated barnacles show a pattern of host-associated divergence, with generalist species occupying basal positions and specialization evolving from ancestrally broader host-use states. The last common ancestor of sponge barnacles appears to have been associated with Clionaida sponges, which may serve as permissive hosts due to their lower biochemical diversity.</p>

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Host-driven adaptive radiation and host usage in sponge-associated barnacles

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月15日

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  • Meng-Chen Yu,
  • Hsiu-Chin Lin,
  • Gregory A. Kolbasov,
  • Jens T. Høeg,
  • Benny K. K. Chan

摘要

Background

Adaptive radiation often involves ecological and morphological diversification, influenced by environmental opportunities, such as symbiotic interactions. Sponge-associated barnacles have evolved specialized traits, such as modified shells, to thrive within sponge hosts. However, the evolutionary mechanisms driving their diversification and host specificity remain unclear.

Results

We integrate molecular phylogenetics (12S, 16S, 18S, COI, H3), detailed morphology, and ecological assessment to examine how host usage influences sponge-associated barnacle diversification. Our findings reveal two primary barnacle clades: Membranous-Base (M-Base) and Calcareous-Base (C-Base), each exhibiting distinct morphological adaptations. Most of the species exhibit strong host specificity being specialists within particular sponges. However, there is no significant correlation between morphology and host specificity, nor a clear co-evolutionary pattern with sponge hosts. These results challenge the assumption that host-driven specialization alone explains diversification.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that sponge-associated barnacles show a pattern of host-associated divergence, with generalist species occupying basal positions and specialization evolving from ancestrally broader host-use states. The last common ancestor of sponge barnacles appears to have been associated with Clionaida sponges, which may serve as permissive hosts due to their lower biochemical diversity.