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Once considered the most speciose mostly azooxanthellate scleractinian group, the family Caryophylliidae is found to be highly polyphyletic based on molecular data and is undergoing a process of systematic revision. High‐throughput sequencing methods coupled with morphological analyses have facilitated revision of several scleractinian lineages, including the aforementioned family. In previous studies that relied on few mitochondrial and nuclear markers, the caryophylliid genera Stephanocyathus and Vaughanella were phylogenetically recovered in separate clades from the lineage that includes the type genus of the family, Caryophyllia, which is considered the 'true' Caryophylliidae. To help untangle the relationship among taxa of this family, here a new deep‐sea scleractinian family (Stephanocyathidae Vaga, Cairns & Kitahara fam. nov.) is proposed based on phylogenomic reconstructions coupled with molecular features, specifically gene order, of the complete mitochondrial genome. Evolutionary reconstructions were based on both mitochondrial and nuclear ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and exon loci data sets and confirmed the divergent position of the genera Stephanocyathus and Vaughanella. The new family shows a specific gene transposition in the mitochondrial genome, not present in the 'true' caryophylliid lineage, but instead already observed for the species Paraconotrochus antarcticus, recovered as sister taxon of the here proposed new family. Although its phylogenetic position is unknown, the genus Ericiocyathus is also added to the new family, based on macromorphological similarities. This study represents a step forward in our understanding of deep‐sea corals relationships and provide further information (e.g., mitochondrial gene order) that will aid in future efforts of assessing the systematic of caryophylliid lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous genomic methods developed over the past two decades have enabled the discovery and extraction of orthologous loci to help resolve phylogenetic relationships across various taxa and scales. Genome skimming (or low‐coverage genome sequencing) is a promising method to not only extract high‐copy loci but also 100s to 1000s of phylogenetically informative nuclear loci (e.g., ultraconserved elements [UCEs] and exons) from contemporary and museum samples. The subphylum Anthozoa, including important ecosystem engineers (e.g., stony corals, black corals, anemones, and octocorals) in the marine environment, is in critical need of phylogenetic resolution and thus might benefit from a genome‐skimming approach. We conducted genome skimming on 242 anthozoan corals collected from 1886 to 2022. Using existing target‐capture baitsets, we bioinformatically obtained UCEs and exons from the genome‐skimming data and incorporated them with data from previously published target‐capture studies. The mean number of UCE and exon loci extracted from the genome skimming data was 1837 ± 662 SD for octocorals and 1379 ± 476 SD loci for hexacorals. Phylogenetic relationships were well resolved within each class. A mean of 1422 ± 720 loci was obtained from the historical specimens, with 1253 loci recovered from the oldest specimen collected in 1886. We also obtained partial to whole mitogenomes and nuclear rRNA genes from >95% of samples. Bioinformatically pulling UCEs, exons, mitochondrial genomes, and nuclear rRNA genes from genome skimming data is a viable and low‐cost option for phylogenetic studies. This approach can be used to review and support taxonomic revisions and reconstruct evolutionary histories, including historical museum and type specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of morphological and molecular lines of evidence has enabled the family Deltocyathidae to be erected to accommodate Deltocyathus species that were previously ascribed to the family Caryophylliidae. However, although displaying the same morphological characteristics as other species of Deltocyathus, molecular data suggested that D. magnificus was phylogenetically distant from Deltocyathidae, falling within the family Turbinoliidae instead. To elucidate the enigmatic evolutionary history of this species and skeletal microstructural features, the phylogenetic relationships of Deltocyathidae and Turbinoliidae were investigated using nuclear ultraconserved and exon loci and complete mitochondrial genomes. Both nuclear and mitochondrial phylogenomic reconstructions confirmed the position of D. magnificus within turbinolids. Furthermore, a novel mitochondrial gene order was uncovered for Deltocyathidae species. This gene order was not present in Turbinoliidae or in D. magnificus that both have the scleractinian canonical gene order, further indicating the taxonomic utility of mitochondrial gene order. D. magnificus is therefore formally moved to the family Turbinoliidae and accommodated in a new genus (Dennantotrochus Kitahara, Vaga & Stolarski, gen. nov.). Surprisingly, turbinolids and deltocyathids do not differ in microstructural organisation of the skeleton that consists of densely packed, individualised rapid accretion deposits and thickening deposits composed of fibres perpendicular to the skeleton surface. Therefore, although both families are clearly evolutionarily divergent, macromorphological features indicate a case of skeletal convergence while these may still share conservative biomineralisation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep-sea lineages are generally thought to arise from shallow-water ancestors, but this hypothesis is based on a relatively small number of taxonomic groups. Anthozoans, which include corals and sea anemones, are significant contributors to the faunal diversity of the deep sea, but the timing and mechanisms of their invasion into this biome remain elusive. Here, we reconstruct a fully resolved, time-calibrated phylogeny of 83 species in the order Antipatharia (black coral) to investigate their bathymetric evolutionary history. Our reconstruction indicates that extant black coral lineages first diversified in continental slope depths (∼250–3000 m) during the early Silurian (∼437 millions of years ago (Ma)) and subsequently radiated into, and diversified within, both continental shelf (less than 250 m) and abyssal (greater than 3000 m) habitats. Ancestral state reconstruction analysis suggests that the appearance of morphological features that enhanced the ability of black corals to acquire nutrients coincided with their invasion of novel depths. Our findings have important conservation implications for anthozoan lineages, as the loss of 'source' slope lineages could threaten millions of years of evolutionary history and confound future invasion events, thereby warranting protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Target‐capture approaches have facilitated a rapid growth in the field of phylogenomics but few probe sets exist for molluscs, an exceptionally rich phylum with unparalleled ecological and morphological diversity. We designed and tested the first universal probe set using Phyluce to capture ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and exon loci from the Subclass Caenogastropoda ‐ one of six major lineages of gastropods. The probe set consists of 29,441 probes designed to target 1142 UCE loci and 1933 exon loci (3075 total). In silico analyses of our probe set yielded an average of 2110 loci from genomes and 1389 loci from transcriptomes of diverse caenogastropods, from which an average of 1669 and 849 loci were retained respectively after screening to remove those that matched multiple contigs. Phylogenetic analyses of the loci extracted from transcriptomes produced well‐supported trees very similar to those published based on transcriptomic analyses. Phylogenetic relationships estimated from loci extracted from genomes recover similar phylogenetic relationships, and indicate that the loci targeted with this probe set are informative for resolving deep phylogenetic relationships. An in vitro analysis of the probe set with the Epitoniidae, a diverse caenogastropod family of uncertain affinity and with poorly resolved evolutionary relationships, recovered a total of 2850 loci. Although preliminary, the analysis of loci captured by our probe set for a small number of epitoniid taxa produced a well‐resolved tree indicating that this probe set is also able to resolve relationships at shallower hierarchical scales. Together, the in silico and in vitro analyses indicate that target‐capture enrichment with this probe set is a useful tool for reconstructing phylogenetic relationships across taxonomic levels and evolutionary time scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black corals (Anthozoa: Antipatharia) are an anthozoan lineage in the class Hexacorallia that occur across a wide range of habitats from the tropics to the poles and from surface waters to depths deeper than 8000 m. A new species of black coral, Aphanipathes puertoricoensis sp. nov., collected with a remotely operated vehicle 357 m deep off Puerto Rico is recognized in the family Aphanipathidae. The new species is characterized by very long and loosely coiled primary branches and up to 0.5 mm tall spines with as many as 40 or more small conical tubercles. A phylogeny composed of 13 taxa that are closely related to the new species was reconstructed from 793 nuclear loci to show their systematic relationships. Our study integrated morphological and genomic data to show that this new species is distinct from other species in the genus Aphanipathes. Furthermore, our results add to the growing knowledge of black coral diversity, while further demonstrating the need for exploration in deep waters of the Caribbean Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Living colonies of the cold-water scleractinian coral Lophelia pertusa and other typically deep-water organisms were discovered in unusually shallow depths (180-250 m) off northeastern Florida. Observations of L. pertusa on rocky substrata and coral-built mounds represent the shallowest records of large colonies of this coral in the western Atlantic Ocean. Biohenns up to 30 m tall, extensive areas of eroded L. pertusa rubble, and a well-developed cold-water community indicated that these sites are long-term features, rather than short-term opportunistic responses to temporary shifts in environmental conditions. Species that are commonly observed on deeper reefs off the southeastern USA were abundant at the shallow sites. The most abundant fishes on reef habitats were Helicolenus dactylopterus, Laemonema barbatulum, Dysommina rugosa, and Anthias spp. In addition to L. pertusa, the most common macroinvertebrates on hard substrata were Eumunida picta, Chaceon fenneri, octocorals, cup corals, and glass sponges. Bottom and near-bottom temperatures (7-10°C) and nutrient concentrations at the shallow sites were similar to those normally encountered at 500-600 m in this region. The shallow reef sites occur in an area known for frequent Gulf Stream-driven upwelling of deep, nutrient-rich water. However, the upwelling must be persistent or permanent in order to maintain deep-sea communities at such shallow depths. Based on these data, this area is under final review by the US Department of Commerce for inclusion in one of the regional Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern., Introduction The deep sea is usually defined as waters deeper man 200 m. However, boundaries between marine ecosystems are difficult to delineate, as fauna and environmental characteristics grade from one [...]

Distinguishing coral species is not only crucial for physiological, ecological, and evolutionary studies but also to enable effective management of threatened reef ecosystems. However, traditional hypotheses that delineate coral species based on morphological traits from the coral skeleton are frequently at odds with tree-based molecular approaches. Additionally, a dearth of species-level molecular markers has made species delimitation particularly challenging in species-rich coral genera, leading to the widespread assumption that interspecific hybridization might be responsible for this apparent conundrum. Here, we used three lines of evidence—morphology, breeding trials, and molecular approaches—to identify species boundaries in a group of ecologically important tabular Acropora corals. In contrast to previous studies, our morphological analysis yielded groups that were congruent with experimental crosses as well as with coalescent-based and allele sharing-based multilocus approaches to species delimitation. Our results suggest that species of the genus Acropora are reproductively isolated and independently evolving units that can be distinguished morphologically. These findings not only pave the way for a taxonomic revision of coral species but also outline an approach that can provide a solid basis to address species delimitation and provide conservation support to a wide variety of keystone organisms. [ Acropora ; coral reefs; hybridization; reproductive isolation; taxonomy.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation aimed to establish whether noncompetitive rock climbing fulfills sports medicine recommendations for maintaining a good level of aerobic fitness. The physiological profile of 13 rock climbers, 8 men (age, 43 [+ or -] 8 years) and 5 women (age, 31 [+ or -] 8 years) was assessed by means of laboratory tests. Maximal aerobic power (Vpo.sub.2]peak) and ventilatory threshold (VT) were assessed using a cycloergometer incremental test. During outdoor rock face climbing, V[o.sub.2] and heart rate (HR) were measured with a portable metabolimeter and the relative steadystate values (V[o.sub.2] and HR during rock climbing) were computed. Blood lactate was measured during recovery. All data are presented as mean [+ or -] SD. V[o.sub.2] peak was 39.1 [+ or -] 4.3 mL.[kg.sup.-1].[min.sup-1] in men and 39.7 [+ or -] 5 mL.[kg.sup.-1].[min.sup.-1] in women, while VT was 29.4 [+ or -] 3.0 mL.[kg.sup.-1].[min.sup.-1] in men and 28.8 [+ or -] 4.6 mL.[kg.sup.-1].[min.sup.-1] in women. The V[o.sub.2] during rock climbing was 28.3 [+ or -] 1.5 mL.[kg.sup.-1].[min.sup.-1] in men and 27.5 [+ or -] 3.7 mL.[kg.sup.-1] .[min .sup.-1 ]in women. The HR during rock climbing was 144 [+ or -] 16 b.[min.sup.-1 in men and 164 [+ or -] 13 b.[min.sup.-1] in women. The aerobic profile was classified from excellent to superior in accordance with the standards of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). The exercise intensity V[o.sub.2] during rock climbing expressed as a percentage of V[o.sub.2]peak) was 70 [+ or -] 6% in men and 72 [+ or -] 8% in women. Moreover, the energy expenditure was 1000-1500 kcal per week. In conclusion, noncompetitive rock climbing has proved to be a typical aerobic activity. The intensity of exercise is comparable to that recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine to maintain good cardiorespiratory fitness. KEY WORDS energy expenditure, oxygen consumption, rock face, blood lactate

A study to examine the long-term clinical outcomes among athletes with abnormal 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) characterized by marked repolarization abnormalities is conducted. Results conclude that marked abnormal ECGs are an indicator of underlying adverse cardio outcomes and merit continued clinical surveillance.