Cnidaria: Diversity, Ecology, and Evolution

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2024) | Viewed by 1944

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
Interests: biogeography; evolution; molecular ecology; symbiosis; trophic ecology

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Guest Editor
Coastal and Marine Research Centre, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4215, Australia
Interests: marine invertebrate diversity and evolution; jellyfish (medusozoan) systematics; biogeography and phylogeography; evo-devo; molecular ecology and evolution

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Guest Editor
1. Taxonomy and Systematics Group, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
2. Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
Interests: stony corals; coral-associated fauna; coral reef conservation; coral taxonomy; coral trade; tropical marine biodiversity; marine invertebrates; marine biogeography; phylogeny reconstructions; marine invasives
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cnidaria is an early-diverging phyla of aquatic animals with over 11,000 species distributed worldwide, from the marine intertidal zone to abyssal ocean depths, as well as in freshwater. These species can occupy a wide range of ecological niches. For example, most jellyfish live freely in the water column, while stony corals are sessile and function as crucial ecosystem engineers of biogenic reefs. Some cnidarian species have tiny polyps that feed mainly on organic particles in the water, while others have polyps larger than 20 cm and can prey on sea slugs, salps, and jellyfish. Moreover, different cnidarian lineages can associate with distinct microbes and epizoic partners in interactions, ranging from mutualism to parasitism. Nonetheless, many topics related to the diversity and evolution of cnidarians, and their associated symbionts, are still poorly understood. Filling these knowledge gaps is essential to the management and conservation of cnidarian biodiversity in the face of ongoing anthropogenic ecosystem alterations.

This Special Issue is devoted to promoting our understanding of a broad range of aspects on the diversity, ecology, and evolution of any group of Cnidaria, recent or fossil. Contributions include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

  • Analyses of the diversity, distribution, and ecology of species and clades;
  • Biogeography, phylogeography, and population genetics;
  • Genetics, genomics, and phylogenetic/phylogenomic analyses;
  • Symbiont diversity and interactions;
  • Taxonomy and systematics

Dr. Maria Eduarda Alves Dos Santos
Dr. Jonathan Wanderley Lawley
Prof. Dr. Bert W. Hoeksema
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Anthozoa
  • biodiversity
  • genetics
  • genomics
  • Medusozoa
  • symbiosis

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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9 pages, 2429 KiB  
Interesting Images
Aggregations of a Sessile Ctenophore, Coeloplana sp., on Indo-West Pacific Gorgonians
by Kaveh Samimi-Namin, Michel R. Claereboudt, Bert W. Hoeksema, Catherine S. McFadden, Nicholas Bezio and Gustav Paulay
Diversity 2023, 15(10), 1060; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15101060 - 3 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1366
Abstract
We document the benthic ctenophores Coeloplana sp. and Vallicula multiformis from Oman, extending their geographic range. A new Coeloplana species was found forming aggregations on gorgonians of two octocoral host genera, Melithaea and Euplexaura, representing associations previously unknown to occur in the [...] Read more.
We document the benthic ctenophores Coeloplana sp. and Vallicula multiformis from Oman, extending their geographic range. A new Coeloplana species was found forming aggregations on gorgonians of two octocoral host genera, Melithaea and Euplexaura, representing associations previously unknown to occur in the Indo-West Pacific region. Our findings also illustrate the concurrent presence of the ectocommensal ophiuroid Ophiothela mirabilis, which adversely affects other Coeloplana species in the tropical West Atlantic, where it is considered invasive. This exploration contributes to our understanding of the biogeography, species distribution, and ectosymbiotic associations of these genera, setting the stage for a comprehensive species description and in-depth analysis of host relationships in future studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cnidaria: Diversity, Ecology, and Evolution)
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