Biochemical differences betweenCalanus finmarchicusandC. helgolandicusEsterases, malate and triose-phosphate dehydrogenases, aldolase, ‘peptidases’, and Other enzymes

Abstract

Three species of copepods—Calanus finmarchicus (Gunnerus), C. helgolandicus (Claus) and C. hyperboreus (Krcyer)—can be easily and consistently differentiated by starch-gel electrophoresis of a number of their enzymes. The techniques used allow the study of individual variation in natural populations of small invertebrates, some of the variation being readily equated with known genetically based protein polymorphisms in man and other species. C. finmarchicus and C. helgolandicus have 15 enzyme zones in common and differ by 24-28 zones. By the rationale of molecular biology it can be suggested that these two forms differ in two-thirds of the structural genes. The results support the morpho-logical studies by Rees (1949) and Matthews (1966b) and the chromosomal studies by Harding (1963). Hence it is clear that the ‘finmarchicus-helgolandicus’ problem is solved: C. finmarchicus and C. helgolandicus are distinct species. The potentials and problems of biochemical systematics are discussed with particular reference to marine biology.INTRODUCTIONElectrophoretic techniques have contributed to the solution of many taxonomic problems—for example, the monophyletic origin of ratite birds (Sibley, 1960), the discovery of a sibling species of sea-cucumber (Manwell & Baker, 1963 a; Manwell, 1966a), the status of species and populations of pheasants (Baker, 1965; Baker, Manwell, Labisky & Harper, 1966), the union of the orang-utan, chimpanzee, gorilla and man into one family, the Pongidae (Tashian, 1965), and the recognition of hybridization in lizards (Dessauer, Fox & Pough, 1962) and fishes (Manwell, Baker & Childers, 1963).