Phylogenetic analysis for detection of multiple fouling events: a pilot study of barnacles at Moorea Island (French Polynesia)

Abstract

Sequencing the cytochrome oxidase I gene and 16S rRNA gene as DNA Barcodes as a phylogenetic methodology, we identified the origin of two invasive barnacles sampled from Vai’are Bay (Moorea Island) in 2011: Chthamalus proteus and Amphibalanus amphitrite. Reconstructed phylogenies strongly support multiple introductions of Chthamalus proteus: from a Brazilian lineage first identified at the island in 2004 and from a lineage located in Hawaii that same year. The unique Amphibalanus amphitrite haplotype clustered with lineages distributed from Japan to Malaysia. The results demonstrate multiple introduction events from different origins, that may enhance invasion processes in South Pacific islands.