Population structure and morphology of Canarium (Canarium) incisum and Canarium (Canarium) esculentum (Mollusca: Neostromboidae: Strombidae) from the Philippines with preliminary notes on aperture colouration based on DArTseq data

Abstract

Canarium (Canarium) incisum and Canarium (Canarium) esculentum are small members of the molluscan Strombidae family. Little is known of their population structure. Therefore, we explored this using samples from a population of each. The first sample from Corong Corong Beach, El Nido, Philippines, consisted of 81 adult C. incisum, of which 33 were female and 48 were male. The second sample from Olango Island, Philippines consisted of 73 adult C. esculentum, of which 40 were female and 33 were male. Bias in sex ratio between species was not significant. However, there was bias in sex ratio within species, where males from both species were smaller in axial length than females. We found no evidence of pseudohermaphroditism. The black colouration of the aperture is a phenotype shared by many stromboidians, and 7.4% of C. incisum population exhibited this trait, while the C. esculentum population contained 50.1% black apertures specimens. Preliminary DArTseq analysis indicates that organisms with the black aperture colouration are nested within the populations. Our study fills a knowledge gap on C. incisum and C. esculentum population structure, and gives greater insights to size dynamics of stromboidian taxa in general.