Among about 1,000 species of coral found around the world, Stylophora pistillata commonly known as "hood coral" has been the most popular research target over the past 40 years. Recently, an international research team composed of scholars from 13 countries led by Dr. Allen Chen, Research Fellow at the Biodiversity Research Centre applied a DNA barcoding technique to examine 241 S. pistillata samples collected from four diverse areas of sea and discovered that this "lab-rat" coral is in fact composed of 4 distinct species, rather than being just one speices as originally assumed. This finding alters understanding of the taxonomy of hood coral and means that coral biology research using S. pistillata needs to be revisited. The article was published in the online journal Scientific Reports, a member of the Nature Publishing Group, on March 22, 2013.

　　S. pistillata is widely distributed over sub-tropical and tropical waters including the Pacific and the Indian Oceans, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. This coral has been used as a "lab-rat" for ecological, physiological, biochemical and molecular aspects of coral research for the past four decades. The genome of S. pistillata has also been decoded by next-generation sequencing. By applying a DNA barcoding technique and examining 241 samples collected from the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, the research team discovered that S. pistillata is in fact composed of four distinct species, not just one as previously assumed.

　　Dr. Allen Chen said that this is the first time the coral researchers worldwide have worked together on the global genetic diversity of coral using a DNA barcoding technique. Most of samples used in this study were obtained with great effort through cooperation, he added. This research highlights the necessity for further research on this species as well as similar species from other genera in the Pacific and the Indian Ocean to uncover the mysteries surrounding the evolution of coral species. The outcome of this paper may also contribute to coral conservation efforts.

　　The full article entitled "DNA barcoding reveals the coral ''laboratory-rat'', Stylophora pistillata encompasses multiple identities" is available at the Scientific Reports website at: http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130322/srep01520/full/srep01520.html

　　This Taiwan arm of this research was funded by Academia Sinica and the National Science Council.

　　The complete list of authors is: Shashank Keshavmurthy, Sung-Yin Yang, Ada Alamaru, Yao-Yang Chuang, Michel Pichon, David Obura, Silvia Fontana, Stephane De Palmas, Fabrizio Stefani, Francesca Benzoni, Angus MacDonald, Annika M. E. Noreen, Chienshun Chen, Carden C. Wallace, Ruby Moothein Pillay, Vianney Denis, Affendi Yang Amri, James D. Reimer, Takuma Mezaki, Charles Sheppard, Yossi Loya, Avidor Abelson, Mohammed Suleiman Mohammed, Andrew C. Baker, Pargol Ghavam Mostafavi, Budiyanto A. Suharsono, Chaolun Allen Chen.