Searching for new morphological characters in the systematics of scleractinian reef corals: comparison of septal teeth and granules between Atlantic and Pacific Mussidae

Abstract

Recent molecular analyses have challenged the traditional classification of scleractinian corals at all taxonomic levels suggesting that new morphological characters are needed. Here we tackle this problem for the family Mussidae, which is polyphyletic. Most of its members belong to two molecular clades composed of: (1) Atlantic Mussidae and Faviidae (except Montastraea) and (2) Pacific Mussidae (Cynarina, Lobophyllia, Scolymia, Symphyllia) and Pectiniidae. Other Pacific mussids (e.g. Acanthastrea) belong to additional clades. To discover new characters that would better serve as phylogenetic markers, we compare the skeletal morphology of mussid genera in different molecular-based clades. Three sets of characters are considered: (1) macromorphology (budding; colony form; size and shape of corallites; numbers of septal cycles), (2) micromorphology (shapes and distributions of septal teeth and granules), and (3) microstructure (arrangement of calcification centres and thickening deposits within costosepta). Although most traditional macromorphological characters exhibit homoplasy, several new micromorphological characters are effective at distinguishing clades, including the shapes and distribution of septal teeth and granules, the area between teeth, and the development of thickening deposits. Arrangements of calcification centres and fibres differ among clades, but the fine-scale structure of thickening deposits does not.