A Sister Species for the Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus? A Tale Revealed by Mitochondrial DNA
Author:
Locci Chiara12, Azzena Ilenia1, Pascale Noemi13, Ciccozzi Alessandra2, Deplano Ilaria2, Giantsis Ioannis A.4ORCID, Papadopoulos Dimitrios K.4ORCID, Lattos Athanasios4, Orrù Flavio5, Puzzi Cesare M.5, Scarpa Fabio2ORCID, Casu Marco1ORCID, Sanna Daria2ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy 2. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43b, 07100 Sassari, Italy 3. Department of Chemical, Physical, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy 4. Laboratory of Ichthyology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece 5. GRAIA Gestione Ricerca Ambientale Ittica Acque, Via Repubblica 1, 21020 Varano Borghi, Italy
Abstract
The Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, is acknowledged as one of the worst invasive alien species in the Mediterranean, impacting biodiversity and human activities. Native to the western Atlantic, it has expanded to European coastal waters since the early 1900s. Despite its ecological and commercial importance, genetic research on this species is limited. Here we show a comprehensive investigation of the genetic variation and evolutionary history in Callinectes sapidus using 667 mitochondrial COI gene sequences. Our dataset encompasses 36 newly generated sequences from previously understudied Mediterranean sites and 631 from worldwide locations obtained from the GenBank public database. Our findings reveal two distinct, but closely related, genetic groups within the species’ distribution range, suggesting the occurrence of a potential species complex. Furthermore, in the Mediterranean, low levels of genetic variability were observed except for substantial haplotypic differentiation in Turkish samples. This study depicts the global genetic diversity and evolutionary patterns of Callinectes sapidus, offering new insights into the taxonomic status of the species.
Funder
Regione Autonoma della Sardegna National Biodiversity Future Center of the University of Sassari
Reference125 articles.
1. IUCN, and Species Survival Commission (2000). IUCN guidelines for the Prevention of Biodiversity Loss Caused by Alien Invasive Species. Aliens, 11, Available online: https://portals.iucn.org/library/efiles/documents/Rep-2000-052.pdf. 2. Alien marine species in the Mediterranean-the 100 ‘Worst Invasives’ and their impact;Streftaris;Mediterr. Mar. Sci.,2006 3. Lucy, F.E., Caffrey, J., Dick, J.T., Davis, E., and Coughlan, N.E. (2024, March 19). Prevention, Control and Eradication of Invasive Alien Species (No. 368). EPA Research Report. Available online: https://www.epa.ie/publications/research/biodiversity/Research_Report_368. 4. European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, and Sundseth, K. (2024, March 19). Invasive Alien Species—A European Union Response. Publications Office, 2016, Available online: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2779/374800. 5. Genovesi, P. (2024, March 19). Guidelines for Eradication of Terrestrial Vertebrates: A European Contribution to the Invasive Alien Species Issue. Other Publications in Wildlife Management. Available online: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/24.
|
|