Asexual reproduction and molecular systematics of the sea anemone <i>Anthopleura krebsi</i> (Actiniaria: Actiniidae)

Abstract

In this paper we use allozyme analyses to demonstrate that individuals in Anthopleura krebsi aggregates are monoclonal. Additionally, sympatric samples of the red and the green colour-morphs of A. krebsi from Pernambuco, Brazil were genetically compared and no significant differences were observed between them (gene identity= 0.992), indicating that they do not belong to different biological species. All individuals within aggregates of the green colour-morph were found to be identical over the five polymorphic loci analysed. Such results would be extremely unlikely (P<10-11) if the individuals analysed had been generated through sexual reproduction, thus confirming the presence of asexual reproduction in this species.