High genetic diversification in a symbiotic marine annelid is driven by microgeography and glaciation

Abstract

Marine invertebrates with limited dispersal abilities exhibit high levels of genetic divergence among populations. However, the spatial extent of genetic differentiation in these species remains poorly understood because identifying natural barriers to gene flow can be challenging in the marine environment. In this study, we investigated the population genetic structure of the interstitial annelid Olavius algarvensis, a species that lays eggs in its immediate surroundings and does not have an active dispersal phase. We analyzed the mitochondrial and nuclear genome sequences of hundreds to thousands of individuals from eleven sites in the Mediterranean, spanning microgeographic scales of < 5 km to macrogeographic scales of 800 km. Comparisons of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in mitochondrial genomes revealed a complex history of introgression events, with as many as six mitochondrial lineages co-occurring in individuals from the same site. In contrast, SNP analyses of nuclear genomes revealed clear genetic differentiation at micro- and macrographic scales, characterised by a significant isolation by distance pattern (IBD). IBD patterns further indicated the presence of a historical physical barrier to gene flow on the east coast of the island of Elba corresponding to the historical shoreline around Elba during the Last Glacial Maximum in the Late Pleistocene, and highlighting the influence of geological forces in shaping population genetic structuring in the species today. Overall, our results provide strong empirical evidence for the high genomic diversification across spatial scales in marine interstitial fauna.