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The First Report of Holothuria (Thymiosycia) impatiens (Forsskål, 1775), (Holothuroidea: Holothuriidae) from Tunisia (Mediterranean Sea): Taxonomic, Morphological, and Molecular Data Compilation
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Abstract: For the first time, specimens of Holothuria impatiens are reported from the Tunisian coast,
supported by molecular (COI sequencing) and morphological (examination of ossicles) analyses. For
comparative purposes, Holothuria impatiens samples were genetically analyzed with existing data
from Spain, Italy, and the Red Sea. In addition to their external morphology, an external substance
covering the individuals is described, besides the new ossicle structure described in the body wall
of H. impatiens samples. The results of the morphometry of the specimens from the Tunisian coast
revealed that, for two shapes of ossicles, the size of the individuals does not influence their structures.
Low genetic diversity was observed in Tunisia, with two haplotypes; one of both haplotypes was
reported for the first time exclusively in Tunisia. The phylogenetic tree showed that the haplotypes
were shared across all locations, revealing that the Mediterranean and Red Sea individuals were
clearly distinct. Further studies on the genetic diversity of H. impatiens are crucial for the evaluation
of the singularity of Mediterranean populations.
Description
Keywords
Morphology Ossicles Barcoding Holothurians Mediterranean sea
Citation
Kalthoumi, D., Francisco, S. M., Miladi, M., Ruiz-Canales, A., Azzouna, A., & Robalo, J. I. (2023). The First Report of Holothuria (Thymiosycia) impatiens (Forsskål, 1775), (Holothuroidea: Holothuriidae) from Tunisia (Mediterranean Sea): Taxonomic, Morphological, and Molecular Data Compilation. Diversity (14242818), 15(4), 542. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040542
Publisher
MDPI