Meeting Abstract

P2.59  Jan. 5  Variation in allopatric populations of Acanthina angelica in the northern Gulf of California COTA, R.M.*; SHUSTER, S.M.; Northern Arizona University; Northern Arizona University raena.cota@nau.edu

Acanthina angelica, a carnivorous marine snail, is a neogastropod with separate sexes and internal fertilization. After copulation, females lay egg masses and attach them to the local substrate. Development occurs completely within the egg capsule and juveniles emerge fully formed. A. angelica feeds on other mollusks and barnacles, using an apertural tooth to pry open shells and barnacle tests. A. angelica is endemic to the northern Gulf of California, with large aggregations found near Puerto Pe�asco. The largest populations near Puerto Pe�asco are located at Playa Miramar, Punta Pel�cana, and Estero Morua, all within a 20 km radius of the city center. The populations differ in time of reproduction, mode of deposition of egg masses, aggregation of individuals (crowding), and morphology of shell characteristics. Habitat differences and restricted gene flow between sites may have led to genetic divergence between populations. Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLP) will be used to determine genetic variation within and among populations.