The Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in Chile: Distribution and Genetic Structure of a Recently Introduced Invasive Marine Species
The genetic characteristics of invasive species have a significant impact on their ability to establish and spread. The blue mussel (<i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i>), native to the Mediterranean Sea, is a leading invasive species of intertidal coasts throughout much of the world. Here,...
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/6/823 |
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| author | Pablo A. Oyarzún Jorge E. Toro José J. Nuñez Gonzalo Ruiz-Tagle Jonathan P. A. Gardner |
| author_facet | Pablo A. Oyarzún Jorge E. Toro José J. Nuñez Gonzalo Ruiz-Tagle Jonathan P. A. Gardner |
| author_sort | Pablo A. Oyarzún |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The genetic characteristics of invasive species have a significant impact on their ability to establish and spread. The blue mussel (<i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i>), native to the Mediterranean Sea, is a leading invasive species of intertidal coasts throughout much of the world. Here, we used mitochondrial DNA sequence data to investigate the genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure of invasive (<i>M. galloprovincialis</i>) versus native (<i>Mytilus chilensis</i>) populations of blue mussels in Chile. We evaluated whether genetic diversity in invasive populations could be explained by the genetic characteristics of the native sources from which they might be derived. A phylogenetic analysis confirmed two lineages of the invasive <i>M. galloprovincialis</i>, i.e., the NW Atlantic and the Mediterranean lineages. We found no evidence of genetic structure in the invasive range of <i>M. galloprovincialis</i> in Chile, most probably because of its recent arrival. We did, however, detect a spatial mixture of both <i>M. galloprovincialis</i> lineages at sampling locations along the Chilean coast, giving rise to higher levels of genetic diversity in some areas compared to the population of native <i>M. chilensis</i>. The coastal area of the invasion is still small in extent (~100 km on either side of two large ports), which supports the hypothesis of a recent introduction. Further expansion of the distribution range of <i>M. galloprovincialis</i> may be limited to the north by increasing water temperatures and to the south by a natural biogeographic break that may slow or perhaps stop its spread. The use of internal borders as a tool to minimise or prevent <i>M. galloprovincialis</i> spread is therefore a genuine management option in Chile but needs to be implemented rapidly. |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:38:21Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
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| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-f23d9888dddc4965bd6edac32e9ecb2b2024-03-27T13:17:34ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152024-03-0114682310.3390/ani14060823The Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in Chile: Distribution and Genetic Structure of a Recently Introduced Invasive Marine SpeciesPablo A. Oyarzún0Jorge E. Toro1José J. Nuñez2Gonzalo Ruiz-Tagle3Jonathan P. A. Gardner4Centro de Investigación Marina Quintay (CIMARQ), Universidad Andrés Bello, Quintay 2340000, ChileInstituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas (ICML), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Independencia 631, Valdivia 5090000, ChileInstituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas (ICML), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Independencia 631, Valdivia 5090000, ChileCentro de Investigación Marina Quintay (CIMARQ), Universidad Andrés Bello, Quintay 2340000, ChileSchool of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New ZealandThe genetic characteristics of invasive species have a significant impact on their ability to establish and spread. The blue mussel (<i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i>), native to the Mediterranean Sea, is a leading invasive species of intertidal coasts throughout much of the world. Here, we used mitochondrial DNA sequence data to investigate the genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure of invasive (<i>M. galloprovincialis</i>) versus native (<i>Mytilus chilensis</i>) populations of blue mussels in Chile. We evaluated whether genetic diversity in invasive populations could be explained by the genetic characteristics of the native sources from which they might be derived. A phylogenetic analysis confirmed two lineages of the invasive <i>M. galloprovincialis</i>, i.e., the NW Atlantic and the Mediterranean lineages. We found no evidence of genetic structure in the invasive range of <i>M. galloprovincialis</i> in Chile, most probably because of its recent arrival. We did, however, detect a spatial mixture of both <i>M. galloprovincialis</i> lineages at sampling locations along the Chilean coast, giving rise to higher levels of genetic diversity in some areas compared to the population of native <i>M. chilensis</i>. The coastal area of the invasion is still small in extent (~100 km on either side of two large ports), which supports the hypothesis of a recent introduction. Further expansion of the distribution range of <i>M. galloprovincialis</i> may be limited to the north by increasing water temperatures and to the south by a natural biogeographic break that may slow or perhaps stop its spread. The use of internal borders as a tool to minimise or prevent <i>M. galloprovincialis</i> spread is therefore a genuine management option in Chile but needs to be implemented rapidly.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/6/823biodiversitybioinvasionblue musselsgenetic diversitymitochondrial DNA<i>Mytilus edulis</i> species complex |
| spellingShingle | Pablo A. Oyarzún Jorge E. Toro José J. Nuñez Gonzalo Ruiz-Tagle Jonathan P. A. Gardner The Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in Chile: Distribution and Genetic Structure of a Recently Introduced Invasive Marine Species Animals biodiversity bioinvasion blue mussels genetic diversity mitochondrial DNA <i>Mytilus edulis</i> species complex |
| title | The Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in Chile: Distribution and Genetic Structure of a Recently Introduced Invasive Marine Species |
| title_full | The Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in Chile: Distribution and Genetic Structure of a Recently Introduced Invasive Marine Species |
| title_fullStr | The Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in Chile: Distribution and Genetic Structure of a Recently Introduced Invasive Marine Species |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in Chile: Distribution and Genetic Structure of a Recently Introduced Invasive Marine Species |
| title_short | The Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in Chile: Distribution and Genetic Structure of a Recently Introduced Invasive Marine Species |
| title_sort | mediterranean mussel i mytilus galloprovincialis i mollusca bivalvia in chile distribution and genetic structure of a recently introduced invasive marine species |
| topic | biodiversity bioinvasion blue mussels genetic diversity mitochondrial DNA <i>Mytilus edulis</i> species complex |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/6/823 |
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