Molecular Systematics of Zoantharian species (Cnidaria) and their Endosymbionts in the Bostaneh Bay, the Persian Gulf

Document Type : Research articles

Authors

Seyedeh Narges Nabavi ¹

Bita Archangi ²

Seyed Mohammad Bagher Nabavi ³

Pargol Ghavam Mostafavi ⁴

¹ Ph.D student of Marine Biology Department, Marine Science and Oceanography Faculty, Khorramshahr University of Science and Technology

² Marine Biology Department, Marine Science and Oceanography Faculty, khorramshahr university of Marine Science and Technology, Khorramshahr, Iran.

³ Halal Research Center IRI

⁴ Department of Biology, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22067/ijab.2025.96455.1114

Abstract

Zoantharians or colonial anemones have an important ecological role in marine ecosystems. Despite their worldwide distribution, research on this order of the Persian Gulf has been sparse compared to other regions, with a need for more detailed investigations, especially regarding molecular systematics and phylogeny. For this purpose, 54 samples of zoantharian colonies in three transects of shallow waters of Bostaneh port were collected by snorkeling and scuba diving. 15 extra colonies also were sampled in the intertidal zone of Khark Island for comparison with the sampling areas of BP. All zoantharian specimens were photographed in situ and morphological characteristics of each specimen were recorded, i. e. polyp shape, polyp color, tentacle number and color, external coloration, oral plate color and oral region color. After DNA extraction, mitochondrial 16S ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Based on obtained 16S rDNA and COI gene sequences, three species were identified: Zoanthus sansibaricus, Palythoa aff. mutuki and Palythoa tuberculosa. We developed quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays to distinguish each of the three genus (Symbiodinium, Cladocopium and Durusdinium) of dinoflagellate endosymbionts through three clade-specific primer sets aiming at ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (for Symbiodinium), partial ITS-1 (for Cladocopium), and LSU (for Durusdinium) of the nuclear rDNA of Symbiodiniaceae from which, (genus Symbiodinium) commonly found in Zoantharia. In this study, the Zoantharia of Bostaneh Port were identified for the first time.

Keywords

Zoantharian

COI

16S rDNA

Bostaneh

Zoanthus sansibaricus

Palythoa

Symbiodiniaceae

Subjects

• Ecology and Evolution
• Phylogenetics
• Taxonomy
• Zoogeography

---