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Lack of genetic evidence for the subspeciation of Pisaster ochraceus (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) in the north-eastern Pacific Ocean

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2008

Sarita Frontana-Uribe
Affiliation:
Present address Departamento de Oceanografía Biológica, CICESE, km 107 Carretera Tijuana–Ensenada, Ensenada, BC 22860, Mexico Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, 04510 México DF, Mexico
Jorge de la Rosa-Vélez
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, km 106 Carretera Tijuana–Ensenada, Ensenada, BC 22860, Mexico
Luis Enríquez-Paredes
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, km 106 Carretera Tijuana–Ensenada, Ensenada, BC 22860, Mexico
Lydia B. Ladah*
Affiliation:
Present address Departamento de Oceanografía Biológica, CICESE, km 107 Carretera Tijuana–Ensenada, Ensenada, BC 22860, Mexico
Laura Sanvicente-Añorve
Affiliation:
Present address Departamento de Oceanografía Biológica, CICESE, km 107 Carretera Tijuana–Ensenada, Ensenada, BC 22860, Mexico
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Lydia B. LadahDepartamento de Oceanografía BiológicaCICESE km 107 Carretera Tijuana–Ensenada Ensenada BC 22860Mexico email: lladah@cicese.mx

Abstract

The existence of two Pisaster ochraceus subspecies has been proposed; one located northwards (P. ochraceus ochraceus) and the other southwards (Pisaster ochraceus segnis) from Point Conception. We used polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism of the CO I and CO III mitochondrial genes to assess the degree of population structure from 126 samples collected along the western coast of North America, from Vancouver, Canada to Punta San Carlos, of Baja California, Mexico. The genetic structure was tested through molecular analysis of variance and by Monte Carlo simulations of the original data set. The phylogeographical pattern was deduced from a minimum spanning network analysis. No genetic structure was detected. Instead, a high degree of genetic homogeneity along the species distribution was evident from haplotype frequencies at each location. Two haplotypes, Po1 and Po5, were predominant along the distribution and were considered ancestral because of their central position in the minimum spanning network. Since Pisaster ochraceus depicts a planktotrophic larval stage with very long duration before settlement, it seems to be able to surpass the biogeographical boundary that limits other species around Point Conception, thereby maintaining homogeneity of its genetic pool. Results of this study recognize P. ochraceus as a single species.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2008

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Footnotes

In memoriam.

References

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