Comparative electrophoretic analyses of three European Carinarion species (Mollusca, Pulmonata, Arionidae)

Digestive gland esterases and albumen gland proteins of Arion ( Carinarion ) fasciatus, A. (C.) circumscriptus, A . ( C .) silvaticus, A . ( Kobeltia ) hortensis, A . ( K .) distinctus and A . ( K .) intermedius were studied using vertical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and isoelectric focusing (IEF). Each of the three Carinarion forms revealed characteristic and nearly monomorphic electrophoretic profiles. Yet some variation was also observed. Within each form the mean intraspecific similarities, calculated from IEF profiles, were high in comparison with similar figures for A. hortensis and A. distinctus . The interspecific similarities, however, were low and of about the same magnitude as those of the Kobeltia species. These results are discussed in the light of the reproductive biology of the Carinarion spp. It seems convenient to retain the three names A. fasciatus, A. circumscriptus and A. silvaticus , even though these do not necessarily refer to actual biological species.