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First records of the genus Sphenopus from temperate waters and lower mesophotic depths

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A Correction to this article was published on 08 September 2020

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Abstract

Azooxanthellate brachycnemic zoantharians have so far only been reported from shallow depths (< 35 m) in tropical and subtropical regions. The present study reports for the first time on an azooxanthellate brachycnemic zoantharian, Sphenopus cf. exilis, from warm temperate waters. The record of this free-living, sand-dwelling species is from the mouth of Kagoshima Bay, Kagoshima, Japan. In addition, its congener S. marsupialis was observed on a sandy bottom at 114 m depth at Okinawa, Japan, which represents the first record of Sphenopus from lower mesophotic depths. These records from temperate to tropical sandy seafloors imply that free-living Sphenopus species may be much more widely and commonly distributed across the Indo-Pacific Ocean than is currently thought.

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Fig. 1

Change history

  • 08 September 2020

    This article reports for the first time on an azooxanthellate brachycnemic zoantharian, Sphenopus marsupialis (Gmelin, 1791) from lower mesophotic depths (114��m depth).

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Acknowledgments

Ms. Midori Matsuoka (Kagoshima University) is thanked for her logistical support. All members of the NPT team are thanked for their underwater support in Kagoshima. The first author would also like to thank Dr. Takuma Fujii (Kagoshima University) for his help in identifying the specimen of Sphenopus. We are grateful to captain Mr. Honmei Kishimoto of Daini-kuroshio-maru and Motobu Fisheries Cooperative for their assistance in the collection from Okinawa, Japan. We thank three anonymous reviewers who provided helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.

Funding

The first author was supported by JSPS KAKENHI grant number 19 J12174. The senior author was supported by a University of the Ryukyus ORCHIDS grant.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan

    Hiroki Kise & James Davis Reimer

  2. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Motobu, Okinawa, Japan

    Takuo Higashiji

  3. Okinawa Churashima Research Center, Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Motobu, Okinawa, Japan

    Masanori Nonaka

  4. Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, 1-21-35 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan

    Daisuke Uyeno

  5. Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan

    James Davis Reimer

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  1. Hiroki Kise
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  2. Takuo Higashiji
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  3. Masanori Nonaka
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  4. Daisuke Uyeno
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  5. James Davis Reimer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hiroki Kise.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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No animal testing was performed during this study.

Sampling and field studies

All necessary permits for sampling and observational field studies were obtained by the authors from relevant authorities and are mentioned in the acknowledgments when applicable.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

Author’s contribution

HK wrote the manuscript with input from JDR. JDR supervised this study and provided research materials. HK, JDR, and DU collected the examined specimen in Kagoshima. TH and MN collected the examined specimen in Okinawa and provided research materials. All authors edited the manuscript.

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Kise, H., Higashiji, T., Nonaka, M. et al. First records of the genus Sphenopus from temperate waters and lower mesophotic depths. Mar. Biodivers. 50, 12 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-020-01039-x

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