SNPs Analysis Indicates Non-Uniform Origins of Invasive Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819) on the Southern African Coast

Understanding the origins of invasive species is necessary to manage them and predict their potential for spreading. The mussel genus <i>Mytilus</i> forms an important component of coastal ecosystems in the northern and southern hemispheres. <i>M. galloprovincialis</i> is an important invasive species globally, first appearing on the South African coast in the 1970s. Studies using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA indicated that the invasion probably originated from the north-east Atlantic. We used fifty-five polymorphic SNPs to genotype mussels from sites across the coast of South Africa with reference samples from the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and New Zealand to test for possible introgression of the northern and southern taxa. Low levels of genetic differentiation were confirmed, and all samples grouped with reference samples of the Atlantic form of <i>M. galloprovincialis</i>, supporting previous studies. The SNP genotyping, however, allowed the detection of some individuals with genotypes typical of the Mediterranean, indicating that introduced populations in South Africa do not have a uniform origin. The initial population introduced to South Africa may have been genetically heterogenous from the start, coming from a region influenced by both the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Alternatively, multiple introductions may have taken place, originating from different regions, specifically North Africa, southern Europe, and the Mediterranean, building up the final heterogeneity.