Reverse taxonomy applied to the Brachionus calyciflorus cryptic species complex: Morphometric analysis confirms species delimitations revealed by molecular phylogenetic analysis and allows the (re) description of four species

: Michaloudi E, Papakostas S, Stamou G, Nedela V, Tihlarikova E, Zhang W, Declerck SAJ

Publisher: PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE

: 2018

PLoS ONE

: PLOS ONE

: ARTN e0203168

: 13

: 9

: 25

: 1932-6203

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203168

: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/35994402

The discovery and exploration of cryptic species have been profoundly expedited thanks to developments in molecular biology and phylogenetics. In this study, we apply a reverse taxonomy approach to the Brachionus calyciflorus species complex, a commonly studied freshwater monogonont rotifer. By combining phylogenetic, morphometric and morphological analyses, we confirm the existence of four cryptic species that have been recently suggested by a molecular study. Based on these results and according to an exhaustive review of the taxonomic literature, we name each of these four species and provide their taxonomic description alongside a diagnostic key.

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