by Ferran Palero
A new paper from the
ChallenGen team entitled “
DNA barcoding the phyllosoma of Scyllarides squammosus (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) (Decapoda: Achelata: Scyllaridae)” has been recently published in the JCR journal Zootaxa.
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| As shown by their fierce-looking mouthparts, phyllosoma larvae rank high on the planktonic food-chain as specialized predators. Luckily for us, they generally do not grow above a few centimeters in total length! |
Despite being the slipper lobster genera with the largest number of species with commercial importance, little is known of the unique long-lived planktonic phyllosoma stages of
Scyllarides. Recently, a large and diverse collection of Scyllaridae phyllosoma from the Coral Sea was analysed by members of our team. DNA-barcoding and phylogenetic analyses allowed Ferran Palero and colleagues to identify several
S. squammosus phyllosoma larvae, including stages that were previously undescribed or poorly known. From a combination of adult and larval morphology with molecular data, we could reveal inconsistencies with regard to the affinities among species assigned to
Scyllarides. This new evidence will contribute to future studies addressing the phylogenetic relationships within the genus.
Furthermore, this new paper represents the first contribution of Rebeca Genis-Armero, a MSc. student recently graduated from the University of Valencia and a name to keep in mind for the future of scientific drawing and phyllosoma larvae.
