Irish oyster populations: a historical and genetic study.

Research into the history of oyster transplantations among Irish beds revealed a great deal of mixing of native stocks. A truly native oyster no longer exists. Starch gel electrophoresis was used to test for genetic differences between these stocks. The resulting allozymic patterns indicate that some differences do exist, but they are small and are hardly large enough to warrant the claim that the populations represent real genetic strains or races. This has relevance to present restocking policies. Genetic variability in Ostrea edulis is considerably lower than in other shellfish species. -from Authors