ELECTROPHORETIC IDENTIFICATION OF THE MARBLED SALAMANDER, AMBYSTOMA-OPACUM, ON KELLEYS ISLAND, LAKE ERIE

Kelleys Island is the second largest island in the western Lake Erie a rchipelago, an enigmatic biogeographic area in which all previously kn own species of the salamander genus Ambystoma are involved in intraspe cific unisexual hybrid complexes. This paper documents the occurrence of A. opacum on Kelleys Island. Identification was made through electr ophoretic comparison of tissue homogenates from unidentified larvae wi th tissue extracts from individuals whose identity was known. This dem onstrates the utility of molecular markers for rapid identification in biological surveys without the need (time and expense) of raising ani mals to metamorphosis. The occurrence of this species on Kelleys Islan d is of both biogeographic and ecological interest.