The Occurrence of Parthenogenetic Artemia Leach, 1819 (Crustacea: Anostraca) in Cancun Saltern, Mexico

Artemia, commonly known as brine shrimp, constitutes a globally distributed halophilic zooplankton organism, occupying hypersaline environments including inland lakes, salterns, and coastal salt lagoons. The genus Artemia encompasses regional endemic species and a diverse array of parthenogenetic lineages, which are characterized by various ploidy levels and distributed across Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia. The aim of the study is to investigate and determine the taxonomic status of an unusual mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) sequence among 14 different populations of Artemia franciscana Kellogg, 1906, collected from Cancun saltern in Mexico. DNA extraction and mtCOI gene amplification were conducted and taxonomic classification was achieved via BLAST analysis. A phylogenetic tree, constructed using Maximum Likelihood methodology, revealed the phylogenetic relationship between Mexican parthenogenetic Artemia and other parthenogenetic lineages of varying ploidy levels. The results unequivocally confirm the presence of parthenogenetic Artemia in Cancun saltern, aligning with sequences from Asia and Europe. Phylogenetic analysis positions revealed the Mexican specimens within the clade of diploid parthenogenetic lineages. The competitive vigor and reproductive capabilities of A. franciscana appear to have limited the expansion of parthenogenetic Artemia in North America. Further research endeavors are essential to unravel the enigmatic biogeography of parthenogenetic Artemia in North America and shed light on its potential native or introduced status.