World Congress of Malacology Antwerp ... - Unitas Malacologica

Keyhole limpets of the genus Fissurella (Archaeogastropoda: Vetigastropoda) in Chilean coasts
Bretos, Marta 1 ; Huaquín, Laura 2 ; Osorio, Cecilia 3 ; Bahamondes-Rojas, Ingrid 4
1. Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Frontera, Casilla 54-
D, Temuco, Chile,
Email: mbretos@ufro.cl
2. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 2, Correo 15,
Santiago de Chile, Chile
Email: lhuaquin@uchile.cl
3. Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653,
Santiago de Chile,
Email: cosorio@uchile.cl
4. Les Auzes, 17350 Saint Savinien, France,
Email: ingrid.bahamondes@libertysurf.fr
The keyhole limpets of the genus Fissurella are locally known as “lapas” or chapas” in Chilean
coasts. They are the most relevant among the world species of the genus because they show the
largest sizes, measuring up to 14 cm in shell length.
Riveros described 26 species for the genus in Chile, only 13 of which were validated by McLean
afterwards. At present, validation of species is being evaluated by using techniques of identification
of mitochondrial DNA.
Basic studies on the biology of Chilean Fissurella have been initiated by Bretos three decades ago.
Data obtained through field studies on tagged individuals of F. crassa led to determine the growth
rate in the natural habitat, formation of growth rings, and maximum length in Northern Chile. Growth
rate and spawning periods were analyzed in F. maxima and F. cumingi, as well as the Trematoda
parasites living in their gonads. The same biological aspects were searched in F. pulchra, F. picta,
and F. nigra. The minimum size of extraction of 6,5 cm in shell length was proposed on the basis of
these studies, and adopted as legal by the government authorities some years later.
The diversity of species of keyhole limpets in the Chilean littoral and their sizes made them
commercially important. They constitute a multispecific artisanal fishery, composed mainly by 7 to 9
species, with a mean landed volume in official statistics of about 2.800 metric tons per year. The
industrial processed products increased their exportation value to international markets.
Overexploitation has diminished the keyhole limpet populations, both at the intertidal and subtidal
zones. Research has been focused on gametes, spawning under controlled conditions, development,
and larval hatching and settlement. The main purpose of these technological and applied aspects is
getting seeds in hatcheries, to use them to reinforce natural populations.
Molecular phylogeny of the terrestrial slug genus Arion (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Arionidae)
Breugelmans, Karin 1 ; Jordaens, Kurt 2 ; Van Houtte, Natalie 2 ; Pinceel, Jan 2 ; Backeljau,
Thierry 1,2
1. Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium,
Email: Karin.Breugelmans@naturalsciences.be; Thierry.Backeljau@naturalsciences.be
2. University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium,
Email:kurt.jordaens@ua.ac.be; natalie.vanhoutte@ua.ac.be; jan.pinceel@khk.be
We present a molecular phylogeny of most of the currently known Arion species on the basis of
mitochondrial (16S rDNA and COI) and nuclear (ITS1) gene fragments. Different phylogenetic
reconstruction methods yielded congruent results and the combination of nuclear and mitochondrial
genes provided, without conflict, resolution for both deep and shallow relationships. Based on these
results, we suggest the following infrageneric organization of the genus Arion. The genus comprises
three phylogenetic groups, viz. Carinarion, Kobeltia, and Arion s.s. + Mesarion. Carinarion has
always been regarded as a well defined taxon. The former subgenus Microarion is now included in
Kobeltia, as was already suggested previously. The subgenera Arion s.s. and Mesarion are lumped
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