Molluscan ResearchISSN 1323-5818
 An international journal of the Malacological Society of Australasia and 
the Society for the Study of Molluscan Diversity published by Magnolia Press

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Molluscan Research 31(1): 15-20; published 21 Apr. 2011
Copyright © The Malacological Society of Australasia & the Society for the Study of Molluscan Diversity

Multiple paternity in the common octopus Octopus vulgaris (Cuvier, 1797), as revealed by microsatellite DNA analysis

JAVIER QUINTEIRO1*, TARIK BAIBAI1,2, LAILA OUKHATTAR1,2, ABDELAZIZ SOUKRI 2, PABLO SEIXAS1 & MANUEL REY-MÉNDEZ.1

1Laboratorio de Sistemática Molecular. Dpto. Bioquímica e Bioloxía Molecular, Facultade de Bioloxía. Campus Sur, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain.

2Laboratoire de Physiologie et de Génétique Moléculaire (PGM), Faculté des Sciences Aïn Chock, Km 8, Route d’El Jadida B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca 20100, Morocco.

*Corresponding author Email: javier.quinteiro@usc.es

Abstract

Two microsatellite DNA markers developed for the common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, were used to determine genotypes of four brooding female octopuses and 11 embryos sampled from their respective clutches, in order to confirm the multiple paternity hypothesis within this species. Two well-known reproductive behavioural patterns are apparently conflicting in mating outcome: the often-observed multiple mating and the role of the male’s hectocotylus in removing stored spermatophores left by other males inside the female’s oviducal gland. Genotyping data suggest that at least two males have been successful in fertilizing eggs sampled from each clutch, an evidence of multiple paternity in the common octopus.

Full article (PDF; 160 KB) Open access

 

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