Abstract
Large genetic differences were observed among the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Fiji and Philippine populations of Tridacna derasa (Roding) sampled in 1989 and 1990 (Nei's unbiased genetic distance, D,=0.137 to 0.341). This result contrasted strongly with the low genetic distance (D=0.032) reported previously for the giant clam T. maxima over similar geographical scales. No significant genetic differentiation was observed among most populations from the GBR (mean D=0.007), consistent with the high gene exchange expected in this highly connected reef system. However, significant differentiation resulting from differences in the frequencies of less common alleles between the North-Central GBR and South GBR (Swain region) were observed. Historical isolation of blocks of the Central Indo-West Pacific from the GBR and present-day restrictions to gene exchange between the GBR, Fiji and the Philippines as a result of oceanographic current patterns, were thought to be responsible for the high degree of genetic differentiation of T. derasa populations. The relevance of these findings to clam mariculture and reef restocking are briefly discussed.
Literature cited
Ayala, F. J. (1975). Genetic differentiation during the speciation process. In: Dobzhansky, T., Hecht, M., Steere, W. C. (eds.) Evolutionary biology, Vol. 8. Plenum Press, New York, p. 1–78
Ayala, F. J., Hedgecock, D., Zumwalt, G. S., Valentine, J. W. (1973). Genetic variation in Tridacna maxima, an ecological analog of some unsuccessful evolutionary lineages. Evolution 27: 177–191
Benzie, J. A. H., Stoddart, J. S. (1992). Genetic structure of out-breaking and non-outbreaking crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) populations on the Great Barrier Reef. Mar. Biol. 112: 119–130
Berger, M. (1983). Population genetics of marine gastropods and bivalves. In: Russel-Hunter, W. D. (ed.) The Mollusca. Vol. 6. Academic Press, New York, p. 563–595
Braley, R. D. (1989). Farming the giant clam. Wld Aquacult. 20: 7–18
Buroker, N. E. (1984). Gene flow in mainland and insular populations of Crassostrea (Mollusca). Biol. Bull. mar. biol. Lab., Woods Hole 166: 550–557
Burton, R. S. (1986). Evolutionary consequences of restricted gene flow among the natural populations of the copepod, Tigriopus californicus. Bull. mar. Sci. 39: 526–535
Campbell, C. A., Valentine, J. W., Ayala, F. J. (1975). High genetic variability in a population of Tridacna maxima from the Great Barrier Reef. Mar. Biol. 33: 341–345
Copland, J. W., Lucas, J. S. (1988). Giant clams in Asia and the Pacific. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra (Monogr. No. 9)
Elston, R. C., Forthofer, R. (1977). Testing of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in small samples. Biometrics 33: 536–542
Harris, H., Hopkinson, D. A. (1976). Handbook for enzyme electrophoresis in human genetics. North Holland, Oxford (looseleaf)
Juinio, M. A. R., Menez, L. A. B., Villanoy, C. L., Gomez, E. D. (1989). Status of giant clam resources of the Philippines. J. mollusc. Stud. 55: 431–440
Koehn, R. K. (1991). The genetics and taxonomy of species in the genus Mytilus. Aquaculture, Amsterdam 94: 125–145
Lobel, P. S., Robinson, A. R. (1986). Transport and entrapment of fish larvae by ocean mesoscale eddies and currents in Hawaiian waters. Deep-Sea Res. 33: 483–500
McManus, J. W. (1985). Marine speciation, tectonics and sea-level changes in Southeast Asia. Proc. 5th int. coral Reef Congr. 4: 133–138. [Gabrie, C. et al. (eds.) Antenne Museum-EPHE, Moorea, French Polynesia]
Nash, W. J., Goddard, M., Lucas, J. S. (1988). Population genetic studies of the crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci (L.), in the Great Barrier Reef region. Coral Reefs 7: 11–18
Nei, M. (1978). Estimation of average heterozygosity and genetic distance from a small number of individuals. Genetics, Austin, Tex. 89: 583–590
Nishida, M., Lucas, J. S. (1988). Genetic differences between geographic populations of the crown-of-thorns starfish throughout the Pacific region. Mar. Biol. 98: 359–368
Potts, D. C. (1983). Evolutionary disequilibrium among Indo-Pacific corals. Bull. mar. Sci. 33: 619–632
Potts, D. C. (1985). Sea-level fluctuations and speciation in Scleractinia. Proc. 5th int. coral Reef Congr. 4: 127–132. [Gabrie, C. et al. (eds.) Antenne Museum-EPHE, Moorea, Frensh Polynesia]
Rosen, B. R. (1984). Reef and coral biogeography and climate through the Cainozoic: just islands in the sun or a critical pattern of islands? In: Benchley, P. (ed.) Fossils and climate. John Wiley, New York, p. 201–262
Selander, R. K., Yang, S. Y., Lewontin, R. C., Johnson, W. E. (1970). Genetic variability in the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus), a phylogenetic relic. Evolution 24: 402–414
Shaklee, J. B., Keenan, C. P. (1986). A practical laboratory guide to the techniques and methodology of electrophoresis and its application to fish fillet identification. Rep. mar. Lab. C.S.I.R.O. Aust. 177: 1–59
Swofford, D. L., Selander, R. B. (1981). BIOSYS-1: A Fortran program for the comprehensive analysis of electrophoretic data in population genetics and systematics. J. Hered. 72: 281–283
Waples, R. S. (1987). A multispecies approach to the analysis of gene flow in marine shore fishes. Evolution 41: 385–400
Weir, B. S., Cockerham, C. C. (1984). Estimating F-statistics for the analysis of population structure. Evolution 38: 1358–1370
Williams, D. McB., Wolanski, E., Andrews, J. C. (1984). Transport mechanisms and the potential movement of planktonic larvae in the central region of the Great Barrier Reef. Coral Reefs 3: 229–236
Williams, J., Higginson, J. J., Rohrbough, J. D. (1973). Oceanic surface currents. In: Pirie, R. G. (ed.) Oceanography. Contemporary readings in ocean sciences. Oxford University Press, New York, p. 99–107
Wright, S. (1978). Evolution and genetics of populations. Vol. 4. Variability within and among natural populations. University of Chicago Press, Chicago
Yonge, C. M. (1975). Giant clams. Scient. Am. 232: 96–105
Zouros, E., Foltz, D. W. (1984). Possible explanations of heterozygote deficiency in bivalve molluscs. Malacologia 25: 583–591
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Contribution No. 197 from the Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines and Contribution No. 562 from the Australian Institute of Marine Science
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Macaranas, J.M., Ablan, C.A., Pante, M.J.R. et al. Genetic structure of giant clam (Tridacna derasa) populations from reefs in the Indo-Pacific. Marine Biology 113, 231–238 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347276
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347276