The first record of Porcupinella profunda from the North Pacific, Aleutian Trench documents phylogenetic position in the Umbellulidae

by Yuka Kushida, Angelika Brandt, James Davis Reimer, Hiroki Kise, Angelo Poliseno
Research article Year: 2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2025.103590

Abstract

The genus Porcupinella belongs to the family Chunellidae and inhabits deep-sea environments. It currently includes two species: Porcupinella profunda, from the Atlantic Ocean, and Porcupinella tasmanica, reported from the Tasman Sea. Porcupinella species can be distinguished from other genera by their well-developed terminal polyp and their colony form, which features paired lateral autozooids on the distal portion of the rachis, resembling genus Umbellula of family Umbellulidae. Here, we report the first record of P. profunda from the Aleutian Trench, representing the first record from the Pacific Ocean, collected during the Aleut-Bio cruise in 2022, and discuss taxonomic issues among the families Chunellidae, Umbellulidae, and Scleroptilidae. Mitochondrial sequence data reveal a very close phylogenetic relationship of Porcupinella profunda to species of Umbellula (Umbellulidae).

Keywords

Aleut-Bio cruise Chunellidae Molecular phylogeny Umbellula