MYTILUS-GALLOPROVINCIALIS LMK. IN NORTHERN AFRICA

Mytilus edulis L. and M. galloprovincialis Lmk. are two, forms of muss els that live and are cultivated on the Northeastern Atlantic coasts a nd where they coexist they hybridise in varying proportions. Up to dat e, the form or forms of Mytilus that inhabit the Atlantic coast of nor thern Africa have not been reliably determined. Four partially diagnos tic allozyme loci for M. edulis and M. galloprovincialis (esterase-D, leucine aminopeptidase-1, mannose phosphate isomerase and octopine deh ydrogenase) were investigated in mussel samples from five northern Afr ican sites in the Atlantic Ocean and the Alboran Sea. Pure European M. galloprovincialis and M. edulis samples were also studied for compari son. Evidence from diagnostic enzyme loci indicates that M. galloprovi ncialis occurs on the Atlantic and SW Mediterranean coasts of northern Africa, and no evidence for the occurrence of M. edulis, or hybrids b etween M. edulis and M. galloprovincialis, has been found in this area . The results are discussed in relation to the geographical distributi on of both forms of Mytilus on Northeastern Atlantic coasts. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.