Specific genetic profiles of Brazilian
Biomphalaria
species were previously standardized by molecular taxonomy
through the analysis of restriction fragments, which were generated by digesting the internal transcribed spacer re-
gion of rDNA with the DdeI endonuclease.
Biomphalaria amazonica
displayed three distinct profiles. To investigate
these distinct profiles, the same molecular technique, polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length
polymorphism, was used with different endonucleases. In addition, morphological data were also used to compare
B.
amazonica specimens that were collected from Brazil, Colombia and Bolivia. The morphological characters of
Bolivian molluscs were similar to
B. amazonica, displayed a molecular profile of five restriction fragments and
morphological data, whereas the Colombian mollusc population showed morphological characters similar to
Biomphalaria cousini
and a molecular profile of three restriction fragments, similar to B. cousini. The Brazilian specimens showed
the
B. amazonica and
B. cousini molecular profiles as well as a third profile, which resembled a combination of the
Colombian and Bolivian molecular profiles.
