Genetics, taxonomy and species complex in sandy beach macrofauna: Reply to Mattos et al. (2018)

ABSTRACT: Mattos et al. (2018; Mar Ecol Prog Ser 601:269-271) commented on our evaluation of the abundant-centre hypothesis (ACH) for the distribution of the isopod Excirolana braziliensis (Martínez et al. 2017; Mar Ecol Prog Ser 583:137-148). They stated that our treatment of E. braziliensis as a single species (i.e. ignoring cryptic diversity) invalidates the connection between reported distribution patterns and the ACH. However, from the introduction of the ACH, the set of mechanisms determining distribution patterns has been considered equally important for a single species and for a set of species with similar functional traits, as is the case for the E. braziliensis complex.