Genetic relationship among Japanese sentinel crabs (Decapoda : Ocypodidae : genus Macrophthalmus)

Seven species (eight populations) of sentinel crabs (genus Macrophthalmus) from the Japan coast and Uca vocans and Ocypode ceratophthalma. were examin ed electrophoretically for genetic variations in 13 enzymatic and one nonen zymatic protein comprising 17 loci. Most species were highly differentiated from each other (Nei's genetic distance, 0.29-1.63). The least genetic dis tance was found between M. japonicus and M. banzai, the genetic distinctive ness of the two taxa being supported by three divergent loci with no common allele. The genetic relationships among Macrophthalmus species differed gr eatly from those inferred from morphological features, with a UPGMA tree su ggesting that the sub-genus Macrophthalmus is polyphyletic. (C) 2001 Elsevi er Science Inc. All rights reserved.