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Abstract
The turritellid Maoricolpus roseus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) is abundant in low intertidal and shallow water marine environments around the coasts of New Zealand. It is currently divided into two regional subspecies: M. roseus roseus, common around much of New Zealand's coast; and M. roseus manukauensis, restricted to several west coast harbours in the North Island, specifically Manukau, Raglan and Kawhia. Molecular data, consisting of both mitochondrial (16S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase I (COI)) and nuclear (18S rRNA and 28S rRNA) genes, were collected and analysed to resolve the status of these subspecies. Our analyses reveal that neither subspecies is monophyletic in our phylogenetic trees, and that the genetic distances between them are no greater than those within. We thus argue that M. roseus manukauensis should be synonymised with the nominotypical subspecies. Maoricolpus roseus is a morphologically variable species, with low levels of 16S and COI genetic diversity within and among different populations.
Acknowledgements
The Maoricolpus samples used in this study were provided by B. Hayward, S. Hills, B. Marshall, M. Morley, A. Smith and K. Walton, to whom we are most grateful. We thank M. Dwyer for help in obtaining copyright permission for and to GNS Science for granting copyright permission. B. Marshall also provided databasing for all Maoricolpus used in this study and helpfully commented on the manuscript. The constructive criticism of W. Ponder and two anonymous reviewers also helped improve this manuscript.