Shell shape variation of queen conch Strombus gigas (Mesograstropoda: Strombidae) from Southwest Caribbean. 2016

Edna Judith Márquez, and Natalia Restrepo-Escobar, and Francisco Luis Montoya-Herrera

The endangered species Strombus gigas is a marine gastropod of significant economic importance through the Greater Caribbean region. In contrast to phenotypic plasticity, the role of genetics on shell variations in S. gigas has not been addressed so far, despite its importance in evolution, management and conservation of this species. This work used geometric morphometrics to investigate the phenotypic variation of 219 shells of S. gigas from eight sites of the Colombian Southwest Caribbean. Differences in mean size between sexes and among sites were contrasted by analysis of variance. Allometry was tested by multivariate regression and the hypothesis of common slope was contrasted by covariance multivariate analysis. Differences in the shell shape among sites were analyzed by principal component analysis. Sexual size dimorphism was not significant, whereas sexual shape dimorphism was significant and variable across sites. Differences in the shell shape among sites were concordant with genetic differences based on microsatellite data, supporting its genetic background. Besides, differences in the shell shape between populations genetically similar suggest a role of phenotypic plasticity in the morphometric variation of the shell shape. These outcomes evidence the role of genetic background and phenotypic plasticity in the shell shape of S. gigas. Thus, geometric morphometrics of shell shape may constitute a complementary tool to explore the genetic diversity of this species.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D010641 Phenotype The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment. Phenotypes
D011156 Population Density Number of individuals in a population relative to space. Overpopulation,Population Size,Underpopulation,Densities, Population,Density, Population,Population Densities,Population Sizes
D003105 Colombia A country in northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the north Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama. The capital is Bogota.
D005260 Female Females
D000704 Analysis of Variance A statistical technique that isolates and assesses the contributions of categorical independent variables to variation in the mean of a continuous dependent variable. ANOVA,Analysis, Variance,Variance Analysis,Analyses, Variance,Variance Analyses
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012737 Sex Factors Maleness or femaleness as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from SEX CHARACTERISTICS, anatomical or physiological manifestations of sex, and from SEX DISTRIBUTION, the number of males and females in given circumstances. Factor, Sex,Factors, Sex,Sex Factor
D015999 Multivariate Analysis A set of techniques used when variation in several variables are studied simultaneously. In statistics, multivariate analysis is interpreted as any analytic method that allows simultaneous study of two or more dependent variables. Analysis, Multivariate,Multivariate Analyses
D017691 Caribbean Region The area that lies between continental North and South America and comprises the Caribbean Sea, the West Indies, and the adjacent mainland regions of southern Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela. West Indies Region,Caribbean,Caribbean Sea Region

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