Molecular Identification of Shallow Water Zoanthids in the Coast of Bushehr- Persian Gulf

The order zoantharia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) which is one of the most unexplored orders are present in the Persian Gulf. This group of cnidarians commonly found in tropical waters at various places in the world and morphological identification to the species level is extremely complicated. In the present study, molecular diversity of shallow water zoanthids from the Bushehr coasts in the Persian Gulf was investigated for the first time.
Twenty-four colonies of zoanthids with variety of shape and colors have been collected from different locations. After DNA extraction using CTAB-Phenol-Chloroform method, mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), mitochondrial 16S ribosomal DNA (mt 16S rDNA) and the nuclear internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA (ITS-rDNA) were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique.
Based on the obtained sequences, the presence of four species-level clades: Zoanthus sansibaricus, Zoanthus pulchellus, Zoanthus sociatus and Palythoa aff. mutuki. Palythoa aff confirmed. mutuki species observed in this study had identical sequences with previously reported Palythoa aff. mutuki in the Persian Gulf. Nevertheless, in the present study two new undescribed species from genus Zoanthus (Z.sociatus and Z.pulchellus) were identifed.
The results of the present study indicate the efficiency of molecular markers application in comparison with morphological characteristics to identify zoaentaria, especially at the species level. Undoubtedly, more studies on zoanthids distribution patterns will increase our knowledge about the biodiversity of the Persian Gulf.