Phylogenetic analysis of ten species of five genera of Buccinidae from the Chinese coast based on 28S rRNA gene

It has been reported that there are 31 species in 13 genera of the family Buccinidae, distributed along the Chinese coast, but their taxonomic status is still controversial. In the present paper, phylogenetic relationships among ten species in five genera of Buccinidae from the Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian coast and ten species in five genus from the Chinese coast were examined using partial large ribosome subunit 28S rRNA sequences. An approximate 1400 bp fragment of the 28 rRNA gene was obtained and sequenced; the sequence variations were analyzed and phylogenetic trees were constructed by Neighbor-Joining （NJ）and Minimum Evolution （ME） methods using Rapana venosa (Muricidae) as an outgroup. Results suggested that ten species in five genera in the family Buccinidae could be divided into five groups: 1）Neptunea, containing Neptunea cumingi Crosse, Neptunea lyrata decemcostata Say, Neptunea eulimata Dall, Siphonalia subdilatata Yen and an uncertain species; 2）Japelion latus Dall; 3）Buccinum pemphigum Dall and Buccinium yokomaruae Yamashita et Habe; 4）Siphonalia spadicea Reeve; and 5）Babylonia areolata Link. The experimental results showed Neptunea cumingi Crosse is the most evolutional species. The unnamed species belongs to the genus Neptunea. Siphonalia subdilatata exists in close relationship with species of the genus Neptunea. The percentage divergence is from 0.9%–1.4%, and we suggest it should be placed in the genus Neptunea [Acta Zoologica Sinica 54(5): 814–821, 2008].