Inter-simple sequence repeat markers reveal strong genetic differentiation among populations of the endangered mollusc Patella ferruginea (Gastropoda: Patellidae) from two Sardinian marine protected areas

Density and distribution of Patella ferruginea in a Marine Protected Area (western Sardinia, Italy): Constraint analysis for population conservation

“…Our research was conducted on the western side of the Mal di Ventre Island where a population of Patella ferruginea has been recently reported (Casu et al, 2006). Mal di Ventre is a granitic island 5 nautical miles away from the Sardinian coast, with a surface area smaller than 1 km 2 .…”

“…This species generally occurs in the high mesolittoral, but can also be found in the supralittoral (Paracuellos et al, 2003;Guerra-García et al, 2004;Casu et al, 2006), often associated with the lichen Verrucaria symbalana Nyl., 1873 (Doneddu & Manunza, 1992), and in the low mesolittoral (Casu et al, 2004). Usually P. ferruginea lives on rocky shores exposed to mid-high hydrodynamics with high oxygen concentrations and low pollution levels.…”

“…In Sardinia, western Mediterranean, genetic population studies demonstrated the presence of P. ferruginea populations in three Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), including "Tavolara -Punta Coda Cavallo", "Asinara" and "Penisola del Sinis -Isola di Mal di Ventre" (Casu et al, 2004;Casu et al, 2006;Lai et al, 2009). Casu et al (2004) and Lai et al (2009) highlighted a remarkable genetic homogeneity among the "Asinara" samples, suggesting little genetic divergence at the small spatial scale.…”

“…Casu et al (2004) and Lai et al (2009) highlighted a remarkable genetic homogeneity among the "Asinara" samples, suggesting little genetic divergence at the small spatial scale. A comparison of the Sinis and "Asinara" populations confirmed a very low rate of gene flow (Casu et al, 2006). Such poor connectivity between MPAs could be due to the overexploitation of the species in the surrounding unprotected areas which are easily accessible by humans (Lai et al, 2009).…”

Filling the limpet gap: molecular characterization of the genus Patella (Patellidae, Gastropoda) in the Algerian coasts of Oran

“…Limpets of the genus Patella Linnaeus, 1758 are widespread along the north-eastern Atlantic intertidal rocky shores and have been extensively studied in terms of population dynamics, ecology, and phylogeography (e.g., Lewis & Bowman 1975, Sà-Pinto et al 2005, Casu et al 2006, Cabral 2007, Rivera-Ingraham et al 2011a, Cossu et al 2015. Patellid species have similar life cycles with a short planktonic larval stage during which current-driven dispersal occurs.…”