SUBUNIT COMPOSITION OF POLYMORPHIC HEMOCYANINS IN THE DECAPOD CRUSTACEANS - DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SIBLING SPECIES

The monomeric subunit composition of the O-2 carrier hemocyanin was in vestigated in three pairs of sibling species in the fiddler crab genus Uca and a complex of two sibling species and their postulated hybrid in the stone crab genus Menippe. All but one species were polymorphic, thought to quite different degrees. None of the intraspecific variati on resembled that expected of different gene products encoded at the s ame locals. Even when the intraspecific variation was great, however, the electrophoretic phenotype was absolutely, diagnostic of a species, suggesting that the crustacean hemocyanins diverged early in speciati on. The hybrid stone crabs however, did not differ significantly from one of their parent species.