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Journal Molluscan Studies Advance Access published online on August 18, 2008
Journal of Molluscan Studies, doi:10.1093/mollus/eyn026
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Malacological Society of London, all rights reserved

INHERITANCE OF PREDOMINANTLY HIDDEN SHELL COLOURS IN MACOMA BALTHICA (L.) (BIVALVIA: TELLINIDAE)

P.C. Luttikhuizen and J. Drent

Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Ecology, PO Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, The Netherlands

Correspondence: P.C. Luttikhuizen; e-mail: luttik{at}nioz.nl


  Abstract

Adults of the bivalve Macoma balthica live burrowed in mud or sand, which makes their shells invisible so that a vision-related selective advantage of colour morphs is hard to imagine. Nevertheless, this species harbours a conspicuous colour polymorphism of white, yellow, orange and red. Here we present data from laboratory-reared crosses that demonstrate a genetic basis for this colour polymorphism. The results suggest a simple model of inheritance of colour class: four alleles at a single locus displaying linear hierarchy of dominance, in the following order of increasing dominance: white < yellow < orange < red. Shell colour intensity is also shown to be a heritable trait in M. balthica. Furthermore, bicolouration may to a degree be a heritable trait, but the sample size is too small to draw any conclusions about possible inheritance mechanisms. Heritable colour variation can now, with the proposed model, be used as a genetic marker. Furthermore, the proposed model will provide the basis for further analysis of the evolutionary forces maintaining this colour polymorphism that is hidden from view for most of the life of this bivalve.

(Received 27 March 2008; accepted 7 July 2008)


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