Document Type
Article
Department/Program
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Publication Date
2010
Journal
GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Volume
33
Issue
3
First Page
564
Last Page
572
Abstract
Oysters (Ostreidae) manifest a high degree of phenotypic plasticity, whereby morphology is of limited value for species identification and taxonomy. By using molecular data, the aim was to genetically characterize the species of Crassostrea occurring along the Brazilian coast, and phylogenetically relate these to other Crassostrea from different parts of the world. Sequencing of the partial cytochrome oxidase c subunit I gene (COI), revealed a total of three species of Crassostrea at 16 locations along the Brazilian coast. C. gasar was found from Curuca (Para state) to Santos (Sao Paulo state), and C. rhizophorae from Fortim (Ceara state) to Florianopolis (Santa Catarina state), although small individuals of the latter species were also found at Ajuruteua beach (municipality of Braganca, Para state). An unidentified Crassostrea species was found only on Canela Island, Braganca. Crassostrea gasar and C. rhizophorae grouped with C. virginica, thereby forming a monophyletic Atlantic group, whereas Crassostrea sp. from Canela Island was shown to be more similar to Indo-Pacific oysters, and either arrived in the Atlantic Ocean before the convergence of the Isthmus of Panama or was accidentally brought to Brazil by ship.
Keywords
genetic identification, oysters, biogeography, COI gene, Ostreidae.
Sponsor
Aline G. C. de Melo and Eduardo S. Varela were sponsored by the Instituto Internacional de Educacao do Brasil (Programa de Bolsas de Estudo para Conservacao da Amazonia - BECA), the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq) and the Mangrove Dynamics and Management Project (Brazilian - German Scientific Cooperation). This research was made possible by grants from the CNPq (62.0052/2001-5 - Institutes of the Millennium Program) and MCT/SEAP-PR/FINEP (01 06 0125 00 - Aquicultura - Acao Transversal 12 /2005). We would like to thank Danilo C. L. Gardunho, Cleidson P. Gomes, Francisco A. S. Alves, Mauro A. D. Melo, and Nelane S. Marques da Silva for help during sampling. Licenses (No 109/2004 and 141/2006) to collect oysters were obtained from the Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renovaveis.
Recommended Citation
Melo, Aline Grasielle Costa de, Varela, Eduardo Sousa, Beasley, Colin Robert, Schneider, Horacio, Sampaio, Iracilda, Gaffney, Patrick Michael, Reece, Kimberly S., & Tagliaro, Claudia Helena. (2010). Molecular identification, phylogeny and geographic distribution of Brazilian mangrove oysters (Crassostrea). Genetics and Molecular Biology, 33(3), 564-572. https://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1415-47572010000300030
