Unravelling the population genetic dynamics of the ivory snail (Babylonia areolata) in Vietnam: Guiding sustainable aquaculture development
Van Vu, S.; Putra, A.; Aini, S.; Abedin, I.; Lee, S.R.; Kim, A.R.; Kang, H.-E.; Le, T.T.; Nguyen, H.H.; Van Doan, H.; Van Vu, I.; Kim, H.W.; Kundu, S. (2026). Unravelling the population genetic dynamics of the ivory snail (Babylonia areolata) in Vietnam: Guiding sustainable aquaculture development. Thalassas 42(2): 107. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41208-026-01129-w
In: Thalassas. Universidad de Vigo: Vigo. ISSN 0212-5919; e-ISSN 2366-1674, more
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| Keywords |
Biogeny > Phylogeny
Fisheries management
Genetic diversity
Population characteristics > Population structure
Babylonia areolata (Link, 1807) [WoRMS]
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| Author keywords |
Marine gastropod · Mitochondrial DNA |
| Authors | | Top |
- Van Vu, S.
- Putra, A.
- Aini, S.
- Abedin, I.
- Lee, S.R.
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- Kim, A.R.
- Kang, H.-E.
- Le, T.T.
- Nguyen, H.H.
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- Van Doan, H.
- Van Vu, I.
- Kim, H.W.
- Kundu, S.
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| Abstract |
The ivory snail Babylonia areolata has experienced a significant population decline in marine ecosystems due to the overharvesting, habitat loss, and climate change. Despite its ecological significance and commercial value, population genetic studies on this gastropod remain limited in Vietnam. This study provides the first genetic insights into B. areolata from the coastal waters of Vietnam, based on 105 newly generated cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequences. This species exhibited 11.2%–18.5% inter-specific genetic divergence from other congeners and formed a monophyletic clustering in phylogenetic analyses. Low intraspecific divergence (0.2%–0.3%) combined with species delimitation approaches, suggesting the potential presence of cryptic diversity possibly due to local adaptation of B. areolata across its distributional range. The haplotype network analysis identified 26 haplotypes, including a dominant central haplotype. Consistent with this pattern, AMOVA and Mantel test results indicated no significant genetic structuring among the examined populations and revealed a negligible, non-significant relationship between geographic distance and genetic differentiation, confirming the absence of an isolation-by-distance signal within the region. The presence of a dominant and widely shared haplotype confirms a high level of genetic connectivity among B. areolata populations across the coastal waters of Thailand, Vietnam, and China. In addition, the presence of several unique haplotypes across the study regions may indicate population-level isolation of this marine gastropod, potentially driven by demographic separation and microhabitat-specific adaptation in coastal environment. These findings underscore the reduced population genetic structure of B. areolata in Southeast and East Asia, which may increase the risk of inbreeding depression. Nevertheless, this genetic information can guide cross-breeding efforts among populations with distinct haplotypes to enhance breeding success and promote sustainable aquaculture development. |
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