Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK

Table of Contents - 1999 - Volume 79, Issue 05  


SHORT COMMUNICATION

Are Pecten maximus and Pecten jacobaeus different species?

Craig S.  Wilding a1p1, Andy R.  Beaumont a1 and John W.  Latchford a1
a1 School of Ocean Sciences, University of Wales Bangor, Menai Bridge, Gwynedd, LL59 5EY

Abstract

Two members of the scallop genus Pecten (Bivalvia: Pectinidae) occur in European waters. Pecten maximus is largely an Atlantic species whilst Pecten jacobaeus is almost completely confined to Mediterranean waters despite slight overlap of distributions in the western Mediterranean. Genetic distances between these species were estimated using both allozyme electrophoresis and mitochondrial DNA PCR–RFLP and shown to be of a similar magnitude to intraspecific values, considerably lower than expected for congeneric species. These data are discussed in the light of recognised morphological differences, hybrid rearing trials and previous studies examining genetic distance by allozyme methodologies.


Correspondence:
p1 Present address: School of Biology, The University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT