Molecular data from the 16S rRNA gene for the phylogeny of Pectinidae (Mollusca : Bivalvia)

The phylogenetic relationships among the species belonging to the family Pe ctinidae are still an issue of debate. The mitochondrial DNA sequences from the large ribosomal RNA gene may be of great value for systematic and phyl ogenetic studies within families. Partial sequences of the 16S rRNA gene we re obtained for the scallop species Adamussium colbecki, Aequipecten opercu laris, Chlamys glabra, C. islandica, C. varia, and Pecten jacobeus and comp ared with the published sequence of Pecten maximus. The present molecular d ata show that Chlamys are polyphyletic and do not support the assignment of these species to the two subfamilies Chlamydinae and Pectininae. Moreover, the minimal genetic distance between P. maximus and P. jacobeus suggests t hat they could belong to the same species.