Molecular systematics of the Asian mitten crabs, genus Eriocheir (Crustacea: Brachyura)

Abstract

To help resolve phylogenetic relationships among the mitten crabs, complete sequences of the nuclear DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and portions of the mitochondrial genome corresponding to the cytochrome oxidase I (COI), were sequenced for all Asian mitten crabs of the genus Eriocheir and seven species of the Grapsoidea. The resulting phylogeny supports the establishment of a separate genus Neoeriocheir, but does not provide justification for the recognition of Platyeriocheir. A female mitten crab specimen from the Zhujiang River, China, was considered to be Eriocheir recta ( Stimpson, 1858), a species previously synonymized with Eriocheir japonica (de Haan, 1835). In the ITS analysis, a sequence from Eriocheir formosa (from Taiwan) falls within a well-supported E. recta group, which indicates that E. formosa may have to be synonymized with E. recta. Three previously recognized members of the genus, E. japonica, Eriocheir sinensis, and Eriocheir hepuensis constitute a monophyletic sister group to E. recta in all phylogenetic trees. We provide evidence for the conspecific status of these taxa. Phylogenetic trees based on COI and combined COI and ITS sequences indicate that E. japonica consists of three subgroups. Since the name E. japonica (de Haan, 1835) takes precedence over E. sinensis (H. Milne Edwards, 1853) and E. hepuensis Dai, 1991, we suggest that these three subgroups correspond to three subspecies of E. japonica: E. j. japonica, E. j. sinensis, and E. j. hepuensis.