Meeting Abstract

P2-90   -   Decrypting the Alpheus gracilipes species complex: an integrated approach using geometric morphometrics and molecular genetics Casaubon, A*; Hurt, C; Hultgren, K; Tennessee Technological University; Tennessee Technological University; Seattle University asanan42@tntech.edu

The snapping shrimp genus Alpheus (ca. 331 spp.) comprises an ecologically diverse, species-rich genus that displays a tremendous amount of variation in key morphological characters. Despite this dramatic variation in morphology, Alpheus is well-known for harboring numerous cryptic species complexes, many of which have been revealed only by molecular tools or subtle phenotypic differences. Examination of morphological variation in a phylogenetic context can be used to identify features that are informative for species identification and informative for reconstructing evolutionary histories. Our study uses geometric morphometrics in a phylogenetic framework to quantify the shapes of characters that have historically been used in species diagnoses and identification. We digitized the major chelae and rostro-orbital hoods across three species from the Alpheus gracilipes species complex to test the reliability of geometric morphometrics in species diagnosis and will compare our results against those of Nomura & Anker’s 2005 study. Phenotypic variation is assessed in a phylogenetic framework based on three mitochondrial genes (COI, 16S, and 12S). Results from this study will be used to generate an updated list of diagnostically informative characters and provide a baseline for other species complexes.