Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 1, 2026

Laboratory Protocol for Genetic Gut Content Analyses of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Using Group-specific rDNA Primers
Published on: October 5, 2017
Cryptic invasions of the crab Carcinus detected by molecular phylogeography
J B Geller1, E D Walton, E D Grosholz
1Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Wilmington 28403, USA. gellerj@uncwil.edu
Abstract:
Coastal marine ecosystems world-wide are threatened by invasions of nonindigenous species. The ubiquity of marine sibling species identifiable only by genetic analysis suggests that many invasions are cryptic and therefore undetected, causing an underestimation of the actual number and impacts of invading species. We test this hypothesis with European crabs in the genus Carcinus that have invaded five regions globally. Partial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences confirm sibling species status of morphologically similar Atlantic C. maenas and Mediterranean C. aestuarii. Based on 16S rRNA haplotypes, crabs from California, New England and Tasmania were all C. maenas. However, we report the cryptic multiple invasion of both species in Japan and South Africa, where only C. aestuarii and C. maenas, respectively, were previously recognized.
Related Concept Videos
Genetics of Speciation
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
In contrast, regions which code...
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Modern Molecular Taxonomy
Applications of Molecular Taxonomy
The Antiviral System of Bacteria and Archaea: CRISPR

