Neritid and thiarid gastropods from French Polynesian streams: how reproduction (sexual, parthenogenetic) and dispersal (active, passive) affect population structure

Summary 1 The streams of French Polynesia contain several species of Neritidae and Thiaridae (Mollusca: Gastropoda). The neritids are dioecious and amphidromous with a freshwater adult stage and a poorly known, marine larval stage. The thiarids are parthenogenetic and viviparous, and rely on passive dispersal for colonisation of new habitats. 2 Populations of the neritid Clithon spinosus and the thiarids Melanoides tuberculata and Thiara granifera were analysed using mitochondrial DNA sequences from COI to compare the population structure of the snails at three different scales: between streams (N = 9), between islands (N = 4), and between age and distance of paired islands. 3 The amphidromous C. spinosus showed no evidence of genetic isolation at any of the scales tested (Fst values 0.02). Parsimony analyses resulted in two haplotype clusters separated by a three‐step segment, which were not linked to geographic isolation. The larval phase of C. spinosus is most likely a long‐lived planktotroph and a very effective disperser. 4 Two haplotypes of M. tuberculata, separated by 16 base pairs, were found. Both haplotypes were found in snails on all islands, and individuals representing both were often collected in the same habitat. One haplotype of T. granifera was found. M. tuberculata has the characteristics of the ‘general‐purpose genotype’ of clonal population structure and although it relies on passive dispersal, it has colonised nearly all freshwater habitats on the islands.