RAPD analysis of the genetic variability in the population of the sea cucumber holothuria polii around the Maltese Islands, Central Mediterranean

Abstract

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was used to assess the genetic variation of the sea cucumber Holothuria polii population. A total of 33 loci were chosen from the 7 primers used. The study revealed that there is divergence between sub-populations found on the east coast and the west coast of Malta, especially at the Anchor Bay site (I = 0.7; D = 0.3). On the other hand, Delimara’s sub-population showed a high homozygozity and less effective alleles (H = 0.214, N = 1.295), possibly due to a decline in numbers, as a result to new selection pressures. The UPGMA dendrogram obtained of the entire Maltese population shows that H. polii is sub-divided into two distinct populations, the north-westerly sub-populations and the south-eastern sub-populations.