International Journal of Aquaculture, 2024, Vol.14, No.4, 184-194 http://www.aquapublisher.com/index.php/ija 184 Review Article Open Access Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Diversification of Aquatic Life Forms ManmanLi Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China Corresponding email: 502684238@qq.com International Journal of Aquaculture, 2024, Vol.14, No.4 doi: 10.5376/ija.2024.14.0019 Received: 20 May, 2024 Accepted: 30 Jun., 2024 Published: 15 Jul., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Li., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Li M.M., 2024, Molecular mechanisms underlying the diversification of aquatic life forms, International Journal of Aquaculture, 14(4): 184-194 (doi: 10.5376/ija.2024.14.0019) Abstract The diversification of aquatic life forms is a significant phenomenon in biological evolution, and understanding the molecular mechanisms behind it is crucial for uncovering the origins of biodiversity and its adaptability. This study explores the key molecular mechanisms driving the diversification of aquatic life forms, including gene duplication, horizontal gene transfer, mutations, and their roles in genetic variability. It also analyzes how gene regulatory networks and epigenetic modifications influence the evolution of developmental pathways, and how environmental factors such as water conditions, predation pressure, and climate change drive molecular diversification. By examining the molecular evolution of key aquatic adaptations such as respiratory systems, sensory systems, and reproductive strategies, the study summarizes the evolutionary strategies of aquatic organisms in various ecological environments. These findings not only deepen the understanding of biodiversity and adaptive evolution in aquatic organisms but also provide a scientific basis for the development of biodiversity conservation strategies and highlight future research directions. Keywords Diversification; Molecular mechanisms; Aquatic life forms; Gene duplication; Evolutionary strategies 1 Introduction Aquatic life forms encompass a vast array of organisms that inhabit marine, freshwater, and brackish environments. These organisms have evolved a multitude of adaptations to thrive in their respective habitats, ranging from physiological mechanisms to morphological traits. For instance, water striders have developed superhydrophobic bristles and elongated legs to navigate water surfaces, a transition that occurred approximately 200 million years ago. Similarly, the Nepomorpha, or true water bugs, have diversified significantly since the late Permian, adapting to various aquatic environments. The deep-sea fish Coryphaenoides rupestris exhibits genotypic segregation by depth, highlighting the role of vertical habitat gradients in promoting intraspecific diversity (Gaither et al., 2018; Ye et al., 2020; Finet et al., 2022). Understanding the mechanisms underlying the diversification of aquatic life forms is crucial for several reasons. It provides insights into the evolutionary processes that drive speciation and adaptation. For example, the study of carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) in aquatic photosynthetic organisms reveals how these systems contribute to global net primary productivity and marine carbon sequestration (Griffiths et al., 2017; Zhou and Mai, 2024). It helps in predicting how current and future environmental changes, such as global warming and cooling, will impact biodiversity. Research on the Anomura crustaceans shows that speciation rates are influenced by global temperature changes, with marine clades responding differently to cooling and warming trends (Davis et al., 2016). Understanding diversification aids in conservation efforts by identifying key adaptive traits and environmental pressures that shape biodiversity. This study leverages current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms driving the diversification of aquatic life forms to analyze the genetic and molecular basis of key adaptive traits in various aquatic organisms. It explores the role of environmental factors, such as climate change and habitat alterations, in shaping diversification patterns and discusses the implications of these findings for biodiversity conservation and management.By
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