NA phylogeny of Ryukyus Leucothoidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

Commensal leucothoid amphipods collected from sponges, ascidians, and coral rubble from the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan, were investigated using nuclear 18S ribosomal DNA sequences. Analysis of sequences from 21 species in three genera supported the current morphological species designations and the separation of the family into two clades. Additionally, a possible new generic-level clade was identified and the separation of the genera Anamixis and Paranamixis was not supported. Our results demonstrate that host specificity appears to evolve rapidly in sibling species in this family.