title: The Application of DNA Barcodes for the Identification of Marine Crustaceans from the North Sea and Adjacent Regions.
abstract: During the last years DNA barcoding has become a popular method of choice for molecular specimen identification. Here we present a comprehensive DNA barcode library of various crustacean taxa found in the North Sea, one of the most extensively studied marine regions of the world. Our data set includes 1,332 barcodes covering 205 species, including taxa of the Amphipoda, Copepoda, Decapoda, Isopoda, Thecostraca, and others. This dataset represents the most extensive DNA barcode library of the Crustacea in terms of species number to date. By using the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD), unique BINs were identified for 198 (96.6%) of the analyzed species. Six species were characterized by two BINs (2.9%), and three BINs were found for the amphipod species Gammarus salinus Spooner, 1947 (0.4%). Intraspecific distances with values higher than 2.2% were revealed for 13 species (6.3%). Exceptionally high distances of up to 14.87% between two distinct but monophyletic clusters were found for the parasitic copepod Caligus elongatus Nordmann, 1832, supporting the results of previous studies that indicated the existence of an overlooked sea louse species. In contrast to these high distances, haplotype-sharing was observed for two decapod spider crab species, Macropodia parva Van Noort & Adema, 1985 and Macropodia rostrata (Linnaeus, 1761), underlining the need for a taxonomic revision of both species. Summarizing the results, our study confirms the application of DNA barcodes as highly effective identification system for the analyzed marine crustaceans of the North Sea and represents an important milestone for modern biodiversity assessment studies using barcode sequences.
authors.affiliation: German Center of Marine Biodiversity (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Raupach
authors.affiliation: German Center of Marine Biodiversity (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barco
authors.affiliation: Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Steinke
authors.affiliation: Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beermann
authors.affiliation: German Center of Marine Biodiversity (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen, Germany.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laakmann
authors.affiliation: German Center of Marine Biodiversity (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen, Germany.
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mohrbeck
authors.affiliation: Department for Marine Research, Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.affiliation: German Center of Marine Biodiversity (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen, Germany.
authors.forename: Terue C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Kihara
authors.affiliation: German Center of Marine Biodiversity (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen, Germany.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pointner
authors.affiliation: Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radulovici
authors.affiliation: Animal Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, V. School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Niedersachsen, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Segelken-Voigt
authors.affiliation: German Center of Marine Biodiversity (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wesse
authors.affiliation: German Center of Marine Biodiversity (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Knebelsberger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003445:Crustacea / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic / Q000379:methods*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV