Genetics of Aquatic Organisms
2020, Vol 4, Num, 1 (Pages: 49-59)
First Population Genetic Structure Analysis of the Freshwater Crab Potamon fluviatile (Brachyura: Potamidae) Reveals Fragmentation at Small Geographical Scale
Adriana Vella 1 ,Noel Vella 1
1 Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Biology, University of Malta, Msida MSD2080, Malta
DOI :
10.4194/2459-1831-v4_1_05
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The freshwater crab, Potamon fluviatile inhabits a number of watercourses in Italy, the
Balkan Peninsula and some neighbouring islands. In this study, P. fluviatile specimens
(n = 176) were tissue sampled from different watercourses in Maltese archipelago and
were genetically analysed to investigate the population structure of the species within
this small geographical area. The DNA sequences analysed included 622 nucleotides
from cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 gene, and 3160 nucleotides from the sequence
between the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 6 gene and the 16S rRNA gene. Results
indicated the occurrence of two main clades, with most populations exhibiting
different haplotype frequencies and were characterized by private haplotypes that
radiate from the main haplotype of each clade. This led to significant pairwise
differences between most of the sampled populations. On grouping populations based
on their geographical region, it was found that there are significantly large genetic
differences between regions, with AMOVA analyses showing that over 90% of the
genetic variation is due to differences between distant water systems. The population
structure and the lack of genetic connectivity found among populations inhabiting
different valleys highlight the urgent need for targeted conservation management of
this legally protected species that is fragmented in small isolated populations.
Keywords :
Maltese archipelago, Population structure, Freshwater courses, mtDNA, Genetic connectivity