Staton JL, Rice ME (1999) Genetic differentiation despite teleplanic larval dispersal: allozyme variation in sipunculans of the Apionsoma misakianum species-complex. Bulletin of Marine Science 65(2): 467-480.

Abstract: We examined the genetic evidence for dispersal in the sipunculan Apionsoma misakianum (Ikeda 1904) by analysis of allozymes (using a total of nine polymorphic loci) in larval and adult samples. Genotypes of adults reared from late-stage larvae collected from the Florida Current were compared with genotypes of adults from three locations: eastern central Florida, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. Genetic differences were found between individuals from the southern localities and the majority of specimens from the northern locality. The multilocus genotypes of the specimens reared from larvae of the Florida Current were characteristic of specimens from the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. Despite evidence for larval influx northward into the central-Florida area via the Florida Current, the southern genotypes were present in only a few adults collected (4.5%) at a northern site, with no indication of "hybrids" occurring between northern and southern genotype based on allozymes (i.e., heterozygotes). Furthermore, genetic separation of the northern and southern genotypes coincides with a faunal boundary noted for other species.