title: High genetic differentiation of Aegla  longirostri (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura) populations in southern Brazil  revealed by multi-loci microsatellite  analysis.
abstract: Species  with a broad distribution rarely have the same genetic make-up throughout their  entire range. In some cases, they may constitute a cryptic complex consisting  of a few species, each with a narrow distribution, instead of a single-, widely  distributed species. These differences can have profound impacts for  biodiversity conservation planning. The genetic differentiation of four  populations of Aegla longirostri, a freshwater crab found in two  geographically isolated basins in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, was  investigated by analyzing pentanucleotide multi-loci microsatellites in a  heteroduplex assay. Although no morphological differences were evident, we  found significant genetic differentiation among the four populations, based on F(ST) values  and clustering analysis. This high level of differentiation may be indicative  of cryptic species in these populations. If this hypothesis is correct, then  the species occurring in the Ibicuí-Mirim River, at the southern limit of the  Atlantic Rain Forest, would be under threat, considering its very restricted  distribution.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil. marliselbs@gmail.com
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bartholomei-Santos
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Roratto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D033381:Anomura / Q000235:genetics*; D044822:Biodiversity; D001938:Brazil; D040961:Genetic Drift; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005843:Geography; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats