An electrophoretic characterisation of three paratypes of Arion fagophilus De Winter, 1986, with notes on the subgeneric division of the genus Arion Férussac, 1819 (Mollusca, Pulmonata)

Abstract

Three paratypes of Arion fagophilus were electrophoretically compared with nine other West European species of the genus Arion. Esterases, glutamate-oxaloacetate-transaminase, a-amylase, superoxide dismutase, phosphoglucomutase, fumarase, α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase and phosphogluconate dehydrogenase were screened in the hepatopancreas and general proteins in the albumen gland. A. fagophilus appears to be a very well defined species, which may be assigned to the subgenus Kobeltia. The subgeneric division of the genus Arion is preliminary discussed with respect to electrophoretic and chromosomal data. It is concluded to retain four subgenera, which may be grouped two by two: Mesarion and Arion s. s. on one hand, and Kobeltia and Carinarion on the other. It is remarked that the electrophoretic differences between Norwegian and Belgian A. ater suggest a separation into two taxa.