Monophyletic status of European morphogenera of the subfamily Candoninae Kaufmann, 1900 (Ostracoda: Candonidae) in relation to their mtDNA phylogenies

Abstract

Abstract The subfamily Candoninae Kaufmann, 1900a is one of the most taxonomically difficult and species-rich lineages of non-marine Ostracoda. It is widely distributed, inhabiting all kinds of surface and subterranean waters, but its taxonomy remains unclear and generic relationships ambiguous due to a number of homoplasies. To verify the morphology-based taxonomy and monophyly of the European morphogenera of Candoninae we propose the analysis of the mitochondrial fragment encoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). We investigated 75 individuals of 25 species representing eight of 13 extant genera of Candoninae known from Europe. The phylogenetic analyses revealed a complex pattern of relationships and a noteworthy incongruence with the currently used taxonomic system. The monophyletic status of the morphogenera CandonaBaird, 1845, FabaeformiscandonaKrstić, 1972, and PseudocandonaKaufmann, 1900a appeared questionable, but instead monophyly of some species groups distinguished morphologically within these genera seemed to be confirmed in our study. The phylogenetic position of some other morphogenera remained unresolved. Our analysis, focusing on well-supported nodes, nevertheless revealed a handful of salient points on the evolution of Candoninae that deserve further investigation.