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A genetic analysis of the pea crabs (Decapoda: Pinnotheridae) of New Zealand

II. Patterns and intensity of spatial population structure inPinnotheres atrinicola

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Abstract

Seven populations of the pea crabPinnotheres atrinicola Page were sampled from around the North Island of New Zealand from February to October 1987, and individuals were scored at 23 presumptive enzymatic loci. For a brachyuran crab,P. atrinicola revealed high levels of polymorphism and heterozygosity. Of the loci scored, phosphoglucose isomerase (Gpi) and phosphoglucomutase (Pgm) were distinguished by high variability (\(\bar H\)=0.602 and 0.526, respectively). A clinal variation in electromorph frequency was evident at several loci, and atGpi in particular. Statistical analyses revealed that, despite relatively small genetic distance separation, a high degree of structuring was present between the geographic populations. The degree of population subdivision observed in this study is atypical of brachyuran crabs. It is suggested that the genetic differentiation observed between pea crab populations is maintained by life-history attributes and current movements which restrict gene flow between populations and, to some extent, by random genetic drift.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Evolutionary Genetics Laboratory, University of Auckland, Private Bag, Auckland, New Zealand

    P. M. Stevens

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Communicated by G.F. Humphrey, Sydney

Publication No. 41 from the Evolutionary Genetics Laboratory, University of Auckland

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Stevens, P.M. A genetic analysis of the pea crabs (Decapoda: Pinnotheridae) of New Zealand. Mar. Biol. 108, 403–410 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01313649

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01313649

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