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Hidden introductions of freshwater red algae via the aquarium trade exposed by DNA barcodes Zhan, Shing; Hsieh, Tsai-Yin; Yeh, Lan-Wei; Kuo, Ting-Chun; Suda, Shoichiro; Liu, Shao-Lun

Description

Abstract The global aquarium trade can introduce alien freshwater invaders, potentially impacting local aquatic ecosystems and their biodiversity. The role of the aquarium trade in spreading freshwater red macroalgae that hitchhike on ornamental aquatic plants and animals is unassessed. We investigated this human-mediated phenomenon via a broad biodiversity survey and genetic analysis of freshwater red algae in the field and aquarium shops in East Asia. Results
We found 26 molecular operational taxonomic units (mOTUs) in Taiwan, some of which are cryptic. Phylogeographical analysis revealed three potential introduced mOTUs in Taiwan, which exhibit no local genetic variation in Taiwan and are distributed across continents. Also, we posit that some presumably endangered freshwater red algae may be preserved in aquaria, an unintentional ex situ conservation site for these organisms that are vulnerable to water pollution from anthropogenic disturbances. Main Conclusions
Collectively, these data suggest that freshwater red algae have been hitchhiking and dispersed via the aquarium trade, an important and overlooked mechanism of introduction of these organisms across the globe.; Methods Location
Field sites and aquaria across Taiwan and in Hong Kong, Japan (Okinawa), the Philippines, and Thailand. Forty additional countries with GenBank sequences. Methods
Using rbcL-based DNA barcoding, we surveyed 125 samples from 46 field sites and 88 samples from 53 aquarium shops (213 samples in total) mostly across Taiwan—a key hub in the global aquarium trade—as well as in Hong Kong, Okinawa (Japan), the Philippines, and Thailand. We augmented our rbcL sequences with GenBank rbcL sequences that represent 40 additional countries globally.

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Title	Hidden introductions of freshwater red algae via the aquarium trade exposed by DNA barcodes
Creator	Zhan, Shing; Hsieh, Tsai-Yin; Yeh, Lan-Wei; Kuo, Ting-Chun; Suda, Shoichiro; Liu, Shao-Lun
Date Issued	2021-05-19
Description	<b>Abstract</b><br/><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">The global aquarium trade can introduce alien freshwater invaders, potentially impacting local aquatic ecosystems and their biodiversity. The role of the aquarium trade in spreading freshwater red macroalgae that hitchhike on ornamental aquatic plants and animals is unassessed. We investigated this human-mediated phenomenon via a broad biodiversity survey and genetic analysis of freshwater red algae in the field and aquarium shops in East Asia.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><b>Results</b> We found 26 molecular operational taxonomic units (mOTUs) in Taiwan, some of which are cryptic. Phylogeographical analysis revealed three potential introduced mOTUs in Taiwan, which exhibit no local genetic variation in Taiwan and are distributed across continents. Also, we posit that some presumably endangered freshwater red algae may be preserved in aquaria, an unintentional <i>ex situ</i> conservation site for these organisms that are vulnerable to water pollution from anthropogenic disturbances.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><b>Main Conclusions</b> Collectively, these data suggest that freshwater red algae have been hitchhiking and dispersed via the aquarium trade, an important and overlooked mechanism of introduction of these organisms across the globe.</p>; <b>Methods</b><br /><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><b>Location</b> Field sites and aquaria across Taiwan and in Hong Kong, Japan (Okinawa), the Philippines, and Thailand. Forty additional countries with GenBank sequences.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><b>Methods</b> Using <i>rbc</i>L-based DNA barcoding, we surveyed 125 samples from 46 field sites and 88 samples from 53 aquarium shops (213 samples in total) mostly across Taiwan—a key hub in the global aquarium trade—as well as in Hong Kong, Okinawa (Japan), the Philippines, and Thailand. We augmented our <i>rbc</i>L sequences with GenBank <i>rbc</i>L sequences that represent 40 additional countries globally.</p>
Subject	Other
Type	Dataset
Notes	Dryad version number: 2</p> Version status: submitted</p> Dryad curation status: Published</p> Sharing link: https://datadryad.org/stash/share/PIlVJzkhiEu_zTybO5NaUKLsGxgl-_EPK8xRXcDORlQ</p> Storage size: 281641</p> Visibility: public</p>
Date Available	2020-08-16
Provider	University of British Columbia Library
License	CC0 1.0
DOI	10.14288/1.0397580
URI	https://doi.org/10.5683/SP2/8HVUJ9
Publisher DOI	https://doi.org/10.5683/SP2/8HVUJ9; https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.3n5tb2rf8
Rights URI	http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0
Aggregated Source Repository	Dataverse

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