Tracing the evolution of bioluminescent light organs across the deep-sea shrimp family Sergestidae using a genomic skimming and phylogenetic approach

Abstract

Deep-sea shrimp of the family SergestidaeDana, 1852provide a unique system for studying the evolution of bioluminescence. Most species within the family possess autogenic bioluminescent photophores in one of three distinct forms: lensed photophores; non-lensed photophores; or internal organs of Pesta. This morphological diversity across the Sergestidae has resulted in recent major taxonomic revisions, dividing the two major genera (SergiaStimpson, 1860and SergestesMilne Edwards, 1830) into 15. The present study capitalises on molecular data to construct an updated genus-level phylogeny of sergestid shrimp. DNA was successfully extracted from 87 individuals belonging to 13 of the 15 newly proposed genera. A 'genome skimming' approach was implemented, allowing the capture of mitochondrial genomic data across 19 sergestid species. Additional individuals have been incorporated into the phylogeny through Sanger sequencing of both nuclear (H3 and NAK) and mitochondrial (16S and COI) genes. The resulting molecular phylogeny is compared with previous morphological trees with specific attention to genus-level relationships. The-sergestes group was rendered non-monophyletic and the-sergia group was recovered as monophyletic. Ancestral state reconstructions of light organ type indicate that organs of Pesta is the ancestral state for the family. Non-lensed photophores evolved once across the-sergia group, but were later lost in the deepest living genus, Sergia. Lensed photophores also evolved once within the genera Prehensilosergia Vereshchaka, Olesen Lunina, 2014, Lucensosergia Vereshchaka, Olesen Lunina, 2014 and Challengerosergia Vereshchaka, Olesen Lunina, 2014. These findings identify preliminary patterns across light organ type and species' depth distributions; however, future research that incorporates finer-scale depth data and more species is needed to confirm our findings.