Abstracts for the Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, held 4-8 January 2000.

Abstracts for the Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology,
held 4-8 January 2000.

ABSTRACT 210 - American Zoologist 39(5): 36A

Tentacle branching pattern in the sea anemone family Actinodendridae Haddon 1898.
A. Ardelean, Univ. of Kansas, Lawrence. adorian@eagle.cc.ukans.edu

The family Actinodendridae is a monophyletic group of three genera of exclusively tropical sea anemones. They have the oral disc drawn out into a variable number of ramified lobes that make them resemble a tree. My research focuses on the structure of the tentacles and their growth pattern, characters that are species-specific and therefore valuable for taxonomy. The genera of Actinodendridae have been defined on the basis of the disposition of secondary branches on the oral lobes. I suggest that the growth pattern of the terminal branches is of more importance in defining genera. My findings may require one or more additional genera of Actinodendridae.
Supported by NSF grant DEB95-21819 in the PEET program to D. G. Fautin.

ABSTRACT 212 - American Zoologist 39(5): 36A

Applications of bioinformatics database for sea anemones.
McCloskey, B.M., M.D. Fullerton, and D.G. Fautin. Univ. of Kansas, Lawrence.

Bioinformatics databases facilitate addressing a variety of questions by organizing large quantities of information. We provide two examples of questions that can be addressed with our database containing geographical and bibliographical information on all known species of sea anemones. Using the geographical component, we compare Arctic and Antarctic anemone faunas and assess the number of species known from greater than 66.5° latitude. As for other marine invertebrates, the number in south polar waters exceeds that in the north. We also assess the number of polar species when Arctic and Antarctic are defined by biologically relevant parameters, which may reveal a natural break between polar and non-polar anemones. Using the bibliographic component, we graph the cumulative number of anemone species described through time. This allows us to infer how completely anemone diversity is known. If the cumulative number of species is growing more slowly than in the past, we infer most species have been discovered. If, however, the number is increasing steadily, many undescribed species may remain.
Supported by an REU supplement in bioinformatics to DGF's NSF grant DEB 95-21819 (PEET-supported research)

ABSTRACT 255 - American Zoologist 39(5):43A

Reassessment of the anthozoan order Ptychodactyaria.
Cappola, V.A., and D.G. Fautin. Univ. of Kansas, Lawrence. vcappola@ukans.edu

The current classification scheme of cnidarian class Anthozoa recognizes Ptychodactiaria as an order equivalent to the Actiniaria and Scleractinia. We will assess whether Ptychodactiaria merits ordinal status. It contains three monospecific genera (Dactylanthus, Preactis, and Ptychodactis) in two families (Preactiidae and Ptychodactiidae). Order Ptychodactiaria was originally characterized by the lack of basilar muscles, the absence of ciliated tracts on the filaments, and the placement of the gonads in a layer on either side of the mesenterial mesoglea. It was redefined to accommodate the presence of basilar muscles and ciliated tracts in the genus Preactis. Preactis has characteristics that are intermediate between those of the other ptychodactiarians and the actiniarians. Except for the presence of basilar muscles and ciliated tracts, Preactis is more similar to Dactylanthus than either genus is to Ptychodactis. The condition of basilar muscles in all three species and the phylogenetic importance of this character will be reassessed to determine whether these three genera form a clade.
This research was supported by NSF grant DEB95-21819 (PEET) to D.G. Fautin.

ABSTRACT 256 - American Zoologist 39(5): 44A

Conspecificity of the clonal and solitary forms of two clownfish sea anemones (Cnidaria: Actiniaria) using ITS1 sequence data.
White T.R. Univ. of Kansas, Lawrence. trwhite@eagle.cc.ukans.edu

Of the 10 species of clownfish sea anemones, only Entacmaea quadricolor and Heteractis magnifica are capable of asexual reproduction; therefore, the two species occur in clonal clusters as well as solitary individuals. The clonal and solitary forms of each species are morphologically identical but may differ in size (solitary individuals being larger), in ecology, and in the type of clownfish they host. It was thought that Metridium senile in the Pacific and Anthopleura elegantissima occurred as both clonal and solitary morphs despite ecological and some morphological differences between the two. However, molecular data (allozymes) supported the clonal and solitary forms being separate species. I will use another form of molecular data, DNA sequence from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) located in the nuclear ribosomal genome, to test whether the clonal and solitary forms of E. quadricolor and H. magnifica are conspecific.
Supported by NSF grant DEB 9521819 (PEET) to D.G. Fautin, and the KU Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center Panorama Small Grant Society.