Genetic Variation and Divergence in the Genus Carcinus (Crustacea, Decapoda)

✍ Scribed by H.-P. Bulnheim; S. Bahns

• Book ID: 102870182
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 639 KB
• Volume: 81
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1434-2944
• DOI: 10.1002/iroh.19960810417

✦ Synopsis

The extent of genetic differentiation of the decapod crustaceans Ccircinris maencis (L.) and C. clesrliarii NARDO was studied in nine nearshore locations comprising various European marine and brackishwater habitats, (Norway, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Yugoslavia), using starch gel electrophoresis. The heterozygosity for all 19 allozyme loci was 0.026-0.016 (C. maencis) and 0.01 1-0.003 (C. aesrnarii); one locus (Pgm) was the most polymorphic. The populations had rather low levels of genetic variability, comparable to those found in other decapods. In general, a light clinal variation in allele frequencies was discovered at the Pgm locus of C. maencis as latitude decreased. Because of similar morphologies and a closed genetic relationship ( I = 0.89), the two forms should be considered subspecies. Therefore, the designation of the Atlantic subspecies C. maenns maencis is proposed, and the term of the Mediterranean subspecies C. mnenas oesrucrrii is recommended.