Citation:
Simon-Blecher, N., Motro, U., & Achituv, Y. . (2025). The rise and the fall of Chthamalus southwardi. Marine Biology Research, 21. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/17451000.2025.2484301
Abstract:
Morphological study and molecular analysis reveal that the population of chthamalids from Seychelles Islands belongs to the species Tetrachthamalus obliterratus. Previously, this population was regarded as Chthamalus southwardi. Thus, our study leads to the conclusion that Chthamalus southwardi is a junior synonym of Tetrachthamalus oblitteratus and should be abandoned. The molecular comparison between the population of Seychelles and that of Elat (on the Red Sea), using three markers – COI, 12S rRNA, and NaKA – suggests that these populations present two distinct clades of Tetrachthamalus oblitteratus.