On the Species Identification of Korean Geoduck Clam (Panopea sp. 1) Based on the Morphological and Molecular Evidence

Abstract

The geoduck clam is a high-value species in South Korea. However, the molecular and morphological characteristics of geoduck clams from the southern coast of South Korea remain unexamined. The accurate identification of native geoduck clams is crucial for their conservation and management. Therefore, this study used a combination of molecular and morphological analyses to characterize native geoduck clams from the southern coast of South Korea. Based on complete mitochondrial genome and morphological analyses, the native species of geoduck clam from this study area was identified as Panopea sp. 1. The complete mitochondrial genome sequencing of Panopea sp. 1 revealed a total of 16,225 bp in length with 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes). It was also shown that Panopea sp. 1 belongs to the family Hiatellidae based on a phylogenetic analysis tree with 11 bivalve species. In particular, Panopea sp. 1 is closely related to three other Panopea species (Panopea sp., Panopea abrupta, and Panopea japonica). The phylogenetic analysis correlated with the morphological analysis. Overall, this is the first reliable record of Panopea sp. 1 in South Korea. These findings provide a basis for accurate species identification based on morphological characteristics and complete mitochondrial genome sequencing.