Phylogenetic position of the striped-legged forms of <i>Panulirus longipes</i> (A. Milne-Edwards, 1868)(Decapoda, Palinuridae) inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences

Abstract

Morphological variation is observed among the striped-legged forms of Panulirus longipes (A. Milne-Edwards, 1868). Two forms have been described, a 'banded-whisker' and a 'white-whisker' form, which, until recently, were synonymized as Panulirus longipes femoristriga (Von Martens, 1872). In this study, analysis of partial nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene provides molecular evidence supporting the recognition of the white-whisker form Panulirus femoristriga (Von Martens, 1872) as a distinct species from the banded-whisker form Panulirus longipes bispinosus Borradaile, 1899. Nucleotide sequence divergence between the spotted-legged form P. longipes longipes (A. Milne-Edwards, 1868) and P. longipes bispinosus is estimated to be 3%. In contrast, sequence divergence between P. femoristriga and P. longipes bispinosus was estimated to be 17.8%, and is comparable to levels of genetic differentiation between other Panulirus species as well as among other crustacean taxa. The present result is concordant with previous analyses based on morphological characters and allozyme markers. A molecular phylogeny of selected Indo-Pacific Panulirus species is also presented, and is likewise broadly consistent with phylogenetic relationships inferred from morphological characters. The sympatric occurrence of P. longipes longipes, P. longipes bispinosus, and P. femoristriga in the Philippines is reported.