Mitochondrial DNA variability in Spanish populations ofA. italicusinferred from the analysis of a COI region

Abstract

Key-words:Austropotamobius italicus was once widely distributed throughout most of the country's limestone basins in Spain. But its populations have shown a very strong decline over the last thirty years, due to different factors. Thus, the species now enjoys protection under regional, national and international legislation. Therefore, knowledge of the levels and patterns of distribution of genetic diversity in crayfish populations is critical when making conservation management decisions. In the present work, the current genetic structure of Spanish populations of white-clawed crayfish, A. italicus, was analyzed. Eleven Spanish populations and an Italian sample were studied through an 1184 bp-lentgh sequence of cytochrome oxidase subunit I mitochondrial gene. Data analysis revealed the existence of eight haplotypes in the Iberian Peninsula, the highest diversity reported to date in Spanish crayfish. Also a substantial genetic differentiation among populations was found, with a clear geographic pattern. The genetic variability found in these populations is similar to, and even higher, than that reported in previous studies on other Spanish and European populations of A. italicus. Thus, given the current risk status of the species across its range, this variability in certain populations offers some hope for the species from a management point of view. RÉSUMÉ La variabilité de l'ADN mitochondrial des populations espagnoles d' A. italicus déduite de l'analyse d'une région COI Mots-clés :Austropotamobius italicus, mtDNA, Austropotamobius italicus était autrefois largement distribué dans la plupart des régions des bassins calcaires en Espagne. Mais ces populations ont montré une baisse très forte au cours des trente dernières années, en raison de différents facteurs. Ainsi, l'espèce bénéficie aujourd'hui d'une protection législative régionale, nationale et internationale. Par conséquent, la connaissance des niveaux et des schémas de distribution de la diversité des ressources génétiques dans les populations d'écrevisses est essentielle pour prendre des décisions de bioconservation. Dans le présent travail, la structure génétique actuelle des populations espagnoles de l'écrevisse à pattes blanches, A. italicus, a été analysée. Onze populations

Continental-wide distribution of crayfish species in Europe: update and maps

“…However, more detailed analyses revealed higher variation than previously assumed and suggested substantially longer presence of the species in this region (Beroiz et al, 2008;Diéguez-Uribeondo et al, 2008;Matallanas et al, 2011Matallanas et al, , 2013. Patterns suggesting bottlenecks, previously ascribed to human mediated introductions, are interpreted by survival in small-scale glacial refugia (Pedraza-Lara et al, 2010) and recent population crashes due to crayfish plague outbreaks and other negative factors (Matallanas et al, 2011(Matallanas et al, , 2013. We thus consider the native range of the white-clawed crayfish complex to encompass the Iberian Peninsula (Figure 4).…”

Interdisciplinarity to reconstruct historical introductions: solving the status of cryptogenic crayfish

“…This was based on the small or absent genetic variability of Spanish crayfish and their close similarity to Italian samples (Grandjean et al ., ; Trontelj et al ., ). Later work found relatively higher genetic diversity as well as private haplotypes of mitochondrial genes, results that were interpreted as support for the native status of crayfish in Spain (Pedraza‐Lara et al ., ; Matallanas et al ., ). However, as we discuss below, identifying a species as native in a given area cannot exclusively rely neither on high genetic diversity nor on the existence of private haplotypes.…”

First record of an introduced population of the southern lineage of white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius ‘italicus’) north of the Alps

“…Based on mtDNA analysis and morphological differences, Grandjean et al (2000;2002) proposed species level for the two clades: Austropotamobius pallipes for the western lineage, distributed in France, the UK, Ireland, southwestern Germany and northwestern Switzerland, as well as western Italy, and A. italicus for the southern lineage, which is present on the Iberian Peninsula, in southern France, southeastern Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia. Although this view was adopted in other studies (e.g., Fratini et al, 2005;Pedraza-Lara et al, 2010;Matallanas et al, 2011), there still exists some debate as to whether A. italicus should be elevated to species rank (e.g., Chiesa et al, 2011). For the purpose of the present study, we acknowledge the existence of two distinct clades with an as-yet unresolved taxonomic status.…”