Abstract:

Aims: Scleractinian corals, as the framework species of reef ecosystems, are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and are designated as National Key Protected Aquatic Wildlife in China. High-latitude coral communities have been proposed as potential climate refugia for tropical corals due to lower thermal stress. However, the high turbidity of local seawater and strong coral phenotypic plasticity at high latitudes could complicate species identification in these areas. 

Methods: To determine the species composition of scleractinian corals in China’s northernmost coral communities (Dongshan, Fujian Province), we conducted systematic surveys in Dongshan waters through using integrated ecological imaging, skeletal morphology, and molecular genotyping, with the molecular identification targeted at nuclear internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and the mitochondrial cytochrome coxidase I (CO1) gene. 

Results: Our analysis revealed that Dongshan waters host at least 13 scleractinian coral species from 12 genera across 7 families. This includes six newly recorded species (Plesiastrea peroni, Bernardpora stutchburyi, Dipsastraea matthaii, Oulastrea crispata, Montipora turgescens, and Psammocora contigua), indicating previously underestimated regional coral diversity. We report Plesiastrea peroni for the first time in China. This species is morphologically distinct from Plesiastrea versipora having wider corallite spacing, fewer septa, and a granulated septal surface, which has been confirmed via sequencing of the Pv-CO1 gene. 

Conclusion: These findings expand our knowledge of the biodiversity of South China’s coral communities, providing baseline data to strengthen the function of Dongshan as a northern refugium for the protection and management of pole-ward-moving tropical corals.

Key words: Scleractinian coral, biodiversity, Dongshan Fujian Province, newly recorded species, Plesiastrea