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Population divergence in the sinistral whelks of North America, with special reference to the east Florida ecotone

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Abstract

This study evaluated models of species relationships among sinistral whelks in the genus Busycon in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Gene frequencies at eight polymorphic allozyme loci, shell morphology, anatomy, and partial DNA sequences for the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) mitochondrial gene were examined in eight populations, ranging from New Jersey to the Yucatan peninsula, and from the dextrally coiled sister taxon Busycon carica (Gmelin, 1791). Whelks were collected in 1997 and 1998. The maximum COI sequence divergence recorded among 32 sinistral individuals was 1.96%, which together with the absence of any gross or qualitative morphological differences, suggested all eight populations should be considered conspecific. High levels of divergence between the allopatric western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico populations, as revealed by fixed or nearly fixed differences at several allozyme-encoding loci were interpreted as evidence that the east Florida ecotone constitutes a significant barrier to gene flow. Size trimming also revealed several significant quantitative differences in shell and radular morphology between the three pooled Atlantic populations and five pooled Gulf populations. The Yucatan sample was the most distinctive conchologically, with heavy spines and tumid ridges, possibly related to stone crab predation. Based on the evidence all left-handed whelks of North America should be referred to the oldest available nomen, Busycon perversum (Linné, 1758), with three subspecies, B. perversum perversum along the Yucatan peninsula, B. perversum sinistrum (Hollister, 1958) in the northern and eastern Gulf of Mexico, and B. perversum laeostomum (Kent, 1982) in the Atlantic.

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Acknowledgements

For help with obtaining whelks we thank B. Anderson, D. Barges, G. Boone, W. Frank, J. Gault, R. Haggerty, D. Ingral, J. Leal, H. Lee, H. Murphy, J. Nace, H. Nash, Patricio of Celestun, H. and F. White, P. Williams, M. Yianopolous. Laboratory assistance was provided by H. Agger, R. Adams, M. Adams, B. McClintock, D. McMillan, and R. Rowe. Illustrations of sinistral whelks were drawn by S. Ryan. We thank M. Rice, S. Reed and the Smithsonian Station at Fort Pierce for hosting us in Florida. This is Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce contribution number 558. This paper is dedicated to Constance E. Boone for her many years of devotion to teaching others about mollusks. The research was supported by the Sterling Turner Research Grant, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston, Texas and the Visiting Scientist Award, Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce to J.W. and M.G.H.

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  1. Houston Museum of Natural Science, 1 Hermann Circle Drive, Houston, TX, 77030-1799, USA

    J. Wise

  2. Department of Systematic Biology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560-0118, USA

    M. G. Harasewych

  3. Department of Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, 29424, USA

    R. T. Dillon Jr.

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  2. M. G. Harasewych
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Correspondence to J. Wise.

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Communicated by J.P. Grassle, New Brunswick

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Wise, J., Harasewych, M.G. & Dillon, R.T. Population divergence in the sinistral whelks of North America, with special reference to the east Florida ecotone. Marine Biology 145, 1167–1179 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-004-1411-x

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