Parasitic ecology, early development, and diversification process of eulimid gastropods

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16221
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 45030:Biodiversity and systematics-related
• Research Institution: Meguro Parasitological Museum
• Principal Investigator: Takano Tsuyoshi 公益財団法人目黒寄生虫館, その他部局等, 研究員 (50794187)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 寄生 / 腹足類 / 種多様性 / 初期発生 / DNAバーコーディング / 分子系統解析 / 棘皮動物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Gastropods of the family Eulimidae are known as parasites of the Echinodermata with various morphologies and lifestyles, and an extraordinary diversity of both extant and extinct species. In this study, ecological, morphological and molecular investigations were conducted for eulimid gastropods to elucidate their diversification processes. A single host species is often parasitized by multiple eulimid taxa. They mostly belong to different genera or to different lineages in a certain eulimid genus, while presumed sister species also parasitize a single host species. In the latter cases, two species were distributed in different geographic areas from each other. These results suggest that repeated host shifts to an echinoderm species and geographic isolation events have advanced diversification of eulimid gastropods.

Free Research Field

系統分類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

寄生生物は200以上のグループが知られ、極めて高い種多様性を示すものがある。本研究では、ハナゴウナ科で同種宿主への反復的な宿主転換が明らかとなり、このような事象が寄生生物の多様化を促進することが示唆された。また、寄生生物は生態系の中でも重要な役割を果たす。今回得られたハナゴウナ類の系統分類ならびに寄生生態の基礎的知見は、海洋生態系の正確な理解につながるとともに、同分野に関する教育への貢献も期待される。