Genetic variation of the razor clam Ensis siliqua (Jeffreys, 1875) along the European coast based on random amplified polymorphic DNA markers |
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| Authors: | Juan Fernández-Tajes Miguel Gaspar Dorotea Martínez-Patiño Niall McDonough Dai Roberts Ana González-Tizón rés Martínez-Lage & Josefina Méndez |
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| Institution: | Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain; Centro Regional de Investigação Pesqueira do Sul (IPIMAR/CRIPSul), Olhão, Portugal; Centro de Cultivos Marinos, Muelle de Porfillán s/n, Ribadeo, Spain; School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University, Belfast, UK |
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| Abstract: | Ensis siliqua is regarded as an increasingly valuable fishery resource with potential for commercial aquaculture in many European countries. The genetic variation of this razor clam was analysed by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) in six populations from Spain, Portugal and Ireland. Out of the 40 primers tested, five were chosen to assess genetic variation. A total of 61 RAPD loci were developed ranging in size from 400 to 2000 bp. The percentages of polymorphic loci, the allele effective number and the genetic diversity were comparable among populations, and demonstrated a high level of genetic variability. The values of Nei's genetic distance were small among the Spanish and Portuguese populations (0.051–0.065), and high between these and the Irish populations. Cluster and principal coordinate analyses supported these findings. A mantel test performed between geographic and genetic distance matrices showed a significant correlation (r=0.84, P<0.05), suggesting an isolation by distance process. |
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| Keywords: | Ensis siliqua razor clam RAPD genetic variation |
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