Application of RAPD-PCR in Taxonomy of Two Morphs of Genus Patella from the Egyptian Rocky Shores of the Mediterranean Sea

Adult specimens of the common edible limpet; Patella vulgata were collected from rocky shores of Abu-Quir, Alexandria, Egypt. There are two morphs of this species; the first morph has shell with projecting ribs from its aboral surface while, the second one with soft-surfaced shell. The authors used one of the most recent techniques; random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) to determine if these morphs represent two separate species or only one species. The current result was depending on the estimation of the genetic distance (D) that was based on the proportion of shared alleles of the two morphs. Four random primers were used and the estimated genetic distance was slightly above (0.5). According to the current result, the two morphs of Patella vulgata can be considered as two subspecies.