Revisiting the past − novel insight into intraspecific molecular diversity and phylogeny of widespread Echinogammarus berilloni

Abstract

Echinogammarus berilloni (Catta, 1878) is a widespread and euryecious species, inhabiting large parts of Southwestern Europe. Additionally, it is recognized as one of the non-native and invasive species, increasing its range to Central Europe. Even though it is widely used as a model organism in a variety of ecological and ecotoxicological studies, its intraspecific molecular diversity has been overlooked. In this study, the publicly available genetic data reveal high level of intraspecific diversity, supporting presence of up to four phylogenetically distinct genetic lineages. Furthermore, the results indicate that the taxon is not monophyletic. The importance of considering its intraspecific diversity is discussed, highlighting the potential implications for future studies as well as the need for further detailed taxonomic studies.

Keywords

• gammaridae
• freshwater
• cryptic diversity
• invasive
• amphipoda