Genetic Structures of Laguncula pulchella Metapopulations Along the Northeast Coast of Japan After the Tsunamis Caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake

Abstract

The carnivorous snail (Laguncula pulchella) was once considered an endangered species in Japan because its habitat was limited to western Japan. However, alien L. pulchella populations were transported from China and the Korean Peninsula to the Pacific coast of northeast Japan, presumably via anthropogenic activities. This study examined the genetic structures of the invasive L. pulchella populations in various coastal estuaries of Sendai Bay and Sanriku Ria areas to determine how the metapopulations were affected by the tsunamis caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The genetic compositions of these carnivorous snails significantly varied between the Sendai Bay and Sanriku areas. The result suggests that local L. pulchella populations were relatively isolated, and their genetic structure was minimally affected by the tsunamis. In addition, their genetic compositions were locally fixed. These results suggest that difference in the genetic composition among L. pulchella populations reflects that of artificial transport source.