Revising Mariametridae: the genera <i>Dichrometra, Lamprometra</i>, and <i>Liparometra</i> (Echinodermata: Crinoidea)

<p>The featherstar genera, <i>Dichrometra</i> A.H. Clark, 1909a, <i>Lamprometra</i> A.H. Clark, 1913, and <i>Liparometra</i> A.H. Clark, 1913 (Comatulida: Mariametridae), are currently diagnosed only on the basis of the relative lengths of their proximal three pairs of pinnules. Previous published descriptions and a morphological re-examination indicate that this character is inconsistent and phenotypically variable. Distinctions amongst most of the 11 currently recognized species within each of these three genera are similarly ambiguous. This study compared currently accepted diagnostic characters amongst members of these three genera and incorporated mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA sequencing to assess taxonomic distinctions. Specimens were obtained from throughout the range of all three genera. Molecular data supported a monophyletic grouping, which we have placed under the senior generic name <i>Dichrometra</i>, based on a level of intraspecies divergence similar to that in other featherstar taxa, with four distinct species-level clades: <i>palmata</i> Müller, 1841, <i>flagellata</i> Müller, 1841, <i>gyges</i> Bell, 1884, and <i>brachypecha</i> H.L. Clark, 1915, the latter two resurrected from synonymy under <i>palmata</i>. Amongst these, proportions of proximal pinnules contributed only to the diagnosis of <i>D. brachypecha</i>. These species and the genus are redescribed. However, new diagnostic morphological characters remain, because they are needed to corroborate the four clades distinguished by molecular data. Because no sequence data were available from specimens identifiable as the remaining nine nominal species, we maintain them as accepted, pending further information.</p

microsatellite genotypes for all sample sets with >5 individuals

Microsatellite genotypes for 7 loci for 49 individuals of leafy seadragons (Phycodurus eques) in genepop format. Sample sets with <5 individuals and individuals of unknown geographic origin were excluded

Sequences mitochondrial control region

Sequences of the mitochondrial control region for 56 leafy seadragons (Phycodurus eques) in fasta format

microsatellite genotypes for all individuals

Microsatellite genotypes for 7 loci for all 70 individuals of leafy seadragons (Phycodurus eques) in genepop format

Geographic distance matrix South Australia

Pairwise geographic distance in km between sample sets, for South Australian sites only. Distance was measured along the coastline but straight-line connections were allowed across Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent

Geographic distance matrix

Pairwise geographic distance in km between sample sets. Distance was measured along the coastline but straight-line connections were allowed across Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent

Sequences mitochondrial NADH subunit 4 (ND4)

Sequences of the mitochondrial NADH subunit 4 (ND4) for 56 leafy seadragons (Phycodurus eques) in fasta format

Phylogenomic Supermatrices

Translated homologous gene alignments from transcriptome data. There are two datasets with the partition files. The 70% complete supermatrix and the 80% complete supermatrix. See text for more details

Mitochondrial Genome Alignment

Concatenated Mitochondrial Protein Alignment file and gene partition text file

Sowhat Constraint Trees

Constriant trees used for SOWH test (likelihood-based test used to compare tree topologies which are not specified a priori)