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The role of barriers and gradients in differentiation processes of pyrgulinid microgastropods of Lake Ohrid

  • SPECIATION IN ANCIENT LAKES
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Abstract

Ancient Lake Ohrid is characterized by vertical (bathymetrical) zones within the lake, presumably promoting allopatric speciation due to barriers or parapatric speciation along gradients. Examples within the lake include the belt of Chara algae as well as the shell zone, both presumably impeding migrations of benthic invertebrates. Three potential cases of vertical differentiation leading to distinct depth forms have been reported for the gastropod subfamily Pyrgulinae (Caenogastropoda: Hydrobiidae): Ginaia munda ssp., Macedopyrgula spp. and Ochridopyrgula macedonica ssp. Based on DNA data of the COI gene from a total of 145 specimens, this article aims at investigating the vertical differentiation within these depth forms and thus patterns of speciation in Lake Ohrid. An initial morphometric analysis showed a clear correlation of shell shape and collecting depth for Ginaia munda ssp. and Macedopyrgula spp. This morphological trend is largely reflected in the genetic structure of the respective taxa. The data presented here indicate the existence of strong gradients of abiotic and biotic factors in Lake Ohrid rather than distinct barriers. Therefore, parapatric speciation may be the predominant form of differentiation of benthic invertebrates in the lake. Incomplete lineage sorting, hybridization and phenotypic plasticity possibly caused by epigenetic mechanisms are discussed as possible reasons for the incongruence between geno- and phenotype observed in few specimens of Ginaia munda ssp. and Macedopyrgula spp. For the third taxon, Ochridopyrgula macedonica ssp., morphometric and genetic analyses revealed only weak support for the previously proposed depth forms. However, a horizontal differentiation of lake and spring populations was revealed instead, and parapatric and allopatric differentiations are discussed in this taxon.

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to the colleagues of the Hydrobiological Institute Ohrid for their valuable support. D. Georgiev is acknowledged for providing us with his vast local expertise. All student colleagues are acknowledged for their help and commitment in the field work. We also thank S. Nachtigall and C. Wolff for their help with the DNA work. We thank R. Schultheiß for intense discussions on issues of incongruence between genetics, morphology and distribution. The constructive reviews from E. Michel and an anonymous referee are gratefully acknowledged. This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) grants WI 1902/8-1 and AL 1076/3-1.

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  1. Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32 (IFZ), 35392, Giessen, Germany

    Kirstin Schreiber, Torsten Hauffe, Christian Albrecht & Thomas Wilke

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  1. Kirstin Schreiber
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Correspondence to Kirstin Schreiber.

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Guest editors: C. Sturmbauer, C. Albrecht, S. Trajanovski & T. Wilke / Evolution and Biodiversity in Ancient Lakes

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Schreiber, K., Hauffe, T., Albrecht, C. et al. The role of barriers and gradients in differentiation processes of pyrgulinid microgastropods of Lake Ohrid. Hydrobiologia 682, 61–73 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0864-4

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