Systematics and character evolution of capitate hydrozoans
Cladistics, vol. 40, pp. 107–134
Abstract
Capitate hydrozoans are a morphologically and ecologically diverse hydrozoan suborder, currently including about 200 species. Being grouped in two clades, Corynida and Zancleida, these hydrozoans still show a number of taxonomic uncertainties at the species, genus and family levels. Many Capitata species established symbiotic relationships with other benthic organisms, including bryozoans, other cnidarians, molluscs and poriferans, as well as with planktonic dinoflagellates for mixotrophic relationships and with bacteria for thiotrophic ectosymbioses. Our study aimed at providing an updated and comprehensive phylogeny reconstruction of the suborder, at modelling the evolution of selected morphological and ecological characters, and at testing evolutionary relationships between the symbiotic lifestyle and the other characters, by integrating taxonomic, ecological and evolutionary data. The phylogenetic hypotheses here presented shed light on the evolutionary relationships within Capitata, with most families and genera being recovered as monophyletic. The genus Zanclea and family Zancleidae, however, were divided into four divergent clades, requiring the establishment of the new genus Apatizanclea and the new combinations for species in Zanclea and Halocoryne genera. The ancestral state reconstructions revealed that symbiosis arose multiple times in the evolutionary history of the Capitata, and that homoplasy is a common phenomenon in the group. Correlations were found between the evolution of symbiosis and morphological characters, such as the perisarc. Overall, our results highlighted that the use of genetic data and a complete knowledge of the life cycles are strongly needed to disentangle taxonomic and systematic issues in capitate hydrozoans. Finally, the colonization of tropical habitat appears to have influenced the evolution of a symbiotic lifestyle, playing important roles in the evolution of the group.
Authors 12
-
Davide Maggioni corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences (BtBs) University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan 20126 Italy
Department of Earth and Environmental Science (DISAT) University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan 20126 Italy
Marine Research and Higher Education (MaRHE) Center University of Milano‐Bicocca Faafu Magoodhoo Island 12030 Maldives
Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences (BtBs) University of Milano-Bicocca Milan 20126 Italy
Department of Earth and Environmental Science (DISAT) University of Milano-Bicocca Milan 20126 Italy
Marine Research and Higher Education (MaRHE) Center University of Milano-Bicocca Faafu Magoodhoo Island 12030 Maldives
-
Natural History Museum of Geneva
Affiliation as printed
Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle Geneva 1208 Switzerland
-
University of Vienna · St Petersburg University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology Saint Petersburg State University Saint Petersburg 199034 Russia
Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy University of Vienna Vienna 1090 Austria
Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology Saint Petersburg State University Saint Petersburg 199034 Russia
Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy University of Vienna Vienna 1090 Austria
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering Polytechnic University of Milan Milan 20133 Italy
Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering Polytechnic University of Milan Milan 20133 Italy
-
Bert Willem Hoeksema Aachen
Naturalis Biodiversity Center · University of Groningen
Affiliation as printed
Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen 9747 AG The Netherlands
Marine Evolution and Ecology Group Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden 2333 CR The Netherlands
Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen 9747 AG The Netherlands
Marine Evolution and Ecology Group Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden 2333 CR The Netherlands
-
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
Affiliation as printed
Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Calabria Marine Centre Amendolara 87071 Italy
Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Calabria Marine Centre Amendolara 87071 Italy
-
University of Salento · CoNISMa
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA) University of Salento Lecce 73100 Italy
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) Palermo 90133 Italy
National Interuniversity Consortium for Marine Science (CoNISMa) Rome 00196 Italy
Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA) University of Salento Lecce 73100 Italy
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) Palermo 90133 Italy
National Interuniversity Consortium for Marine Science (CoNISMa) Rome 00196 Italy
-
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Genoa Marine Centre (GMC) Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn – National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology Genoa 16126 Italy
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Earth and Environmental Science (DISAT) University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan 20126 Italy
Marine Research and Higher Education (MaRHE) Center University of Milano‐Bicocca Faafu Magoodhoo Island 12030 Maldives
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) Palermo 90133 Italy
Department of Earth and Environmental Science (DISAT) University of Milano-Bicocca Milan 20126 Italy
Marine Research and Higher Education (MaRHE) Center University of Milano-Bicocca Faafu Magoodhoo Island 12030 Maldives
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) Palermo 90133 Italy
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Earth and Environmental Science (DISAT) University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan 20126 Italy
Marine Research and Higher Education (MaRHE) Center University of Milano‐Bicocca Faafu Magoodhoo Island 12030 Maldives
Department of Earth and Environmental Science (DISAT) University of Milano-Bicocca Milan 20126 Italy
Marine Research and Higher Education (MaRHE) Center University of Milano-Bicocca Faafu Magoodhoo Island 12030 Maldives
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Earth and Environmental Science (DISAT) University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan 20126 Italy
Marine Research and Higher Education (MaRHE) Center University of Milano‐Bicocca Faafu Magoodhoo Island 12030 Maldives
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) Palermo 90133 Italy
Department of Earth and Environmental Science (DISAT) University of Milano-Bicocca Milan 20126 Italy
Marine Research and Higher Education (MaRHE) Center University of Milano-Bicocca Faafu Magoodhoo Island 12030 Maldives
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) Palermo 90133 Italy
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Earth and Environmental Science (DISAT) University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan 20126 Italy
Marine Research and Higher Education (MaRHE) Center University of Milano‐Bicocca Faafu Magoodhoo Island 12030 Maldives
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) Palermo 90133 Italy
Department of Earth and Environmental Science (DISAT) University of Milano-Bicocca Milan 20126 Italy
Marine Research and Higher Education (MaRHE) Center University of Milano-Bicocca Faafu Magoodhoo Island 12030 Maldives
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) Palermo 90133 Italy
Cited by 7 stored of 7
7 results
No patents citing this paper on Lens.org (checked 2026-10-11).