抄録
Snails of the genus Batillaria are common on most muddy tidal flats throughout Japan. To conserve tidal flat ecosystems, it is essential to understand the ecology of the Batillaria snails. A previous mitochondrial (mt) cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequence analysis indicated that two Batillaria species, B. flectosiphonata and B. multiformis, occur together on the tidal flats on Amami-Oshima, Japan. However, it is difficult to distinguish them by their morphological traits. In this study, a simple multiplex PCR (mPCR)-based method was developed to identify the two species without the need for DNA sequencing. The method allows the discrimination of species by the electrophoretic detection of species-specific DNA fragments of the COI gene amplified by mPCR. This method will enhance the ecological study of these Batillaria snails on Amami-Oshima.
