MEPS

Marine Ecology Progress Series

MEPS is a leading hybrid research journal on all aspects of marine, coastal and estuarine ecology. Priority is given to outstanding research that advances our ecological understanding.

Online: ISSN 1616-1599

Print: ISSN 0171-8630

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps

Impact Factor2.1 (JCR 2025 release)

Article Acceptance Rate52.2% (2024)

Average Time in Review216 days (2024)

Total Annual Downloads2.955.938 (2025)

Volume contents
Mar Ecol Prog Ser 426:197-212 (2011)

Phylogeny and phylogeography of Atlantic oyster species: evolutionary history, limited genetic connectivity and isolation by distance

ABSTRACT: The phylogenetic relationships between naturally occurring Atlantic Crassostrea oyster species were inferred through analyses of mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase subunit I and 16S) and nuclear (second internal transcribed spacer) sequences. We also scored 15 allozyme loci on 422 oysters to study population structuring of C. rhizophorae and C. brasiliana along 9000 km of the Western Atlantic coastline. Despite morphological similarities, C. virginica was genetically more closely related to C. rhizophorae than to C. brasiliana. In contrast, C. paraibanensis was genetically indistinguishable from C. brasiliana, which is probably a junior synonym of the African C. gasar. Significant genetic differentiation between populations of C. rhizophorae and C. gasar were found along the Western Atlantic coast, supporting an isolation-by-distance pattern.

KEYWORDS

C. Lazoski (Co-author)

  • Laboratório de Biodiversidade Molecular – Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biologia, UFRJ, CCS, Bloco A, sala A2-98, Ilha do Fundão, 21941-490 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

J. Gusmão (Co-author)

  • Laboratório de Biodiversidade Molecular – Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biologia, UFRJ, CCS, Bloco A, sala A2-98, Ilha do Fundão, 21941-490 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Laboratório de Genética Marinha—Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, UERJ, Maracanã, 20550-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

P. Boudry (Co-author)

  • Ifremer, UMR M100 Physiologie et Ecophysiologie des Mollusques Marins, 29280 Plouzané, France

A. M. Solé-Cava (Corresponding Author)

  • Laboratório de Biodiversidade Molecular – Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biologia, UFRJ, CCS, Bloco A, sala A2-98, Ilha do Fundão, 21941-490 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
sole@biologia.ufrj.br