In this study, molecular taxonomy associated with Spicara flexuosa, Spicara maena, and Spicara smaris was examined with a geographical focus along the coasts of the Turkey and the Mediterranean. In addition, the effects of the Turkish Straits System on the evolutionary history and phylogeography of Spicara flexuosa were investigated. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I, cytochrome b, and the nuclear Interphotoreceptor retinoid–binding protein genes were used for these purposes. Our results indicated that the distinction of the three taxa under Spicara is possible with the two different mitochondrial DNA markers. Nuclear DNA analyses indicated that reproductive isolation of the S. maena and S. flexuosa was complete. Demographic analyses support the sudden population growth of S. flexuosa after a potential bottleneck. The result of the dating analyses suggested that the three Spicara species were differentiated during the early or middle Pliocene. An absence of genetic structure between Spicara flexuosa subpopulations from Turkey indicated the connectivity, within sampling locations, suggesting that the Turkish Straits System is a corridor for gene flow for this species. As picarel populations have experienced rapid decline in their distribution areas in recent years, separate population studies are necessary to help make informed conservation and management decisions for S. maena and S. flexuosa.

在这项研究中，研究了与Spicara flexuosa，Spicara maena和Spicara smaris相关的分子分类学，并重点研究了土耳其和地中海沿岸的地理区域。此外，还研究了土耳其海峡系统对柔叶扇贝的进化历史和系统地理学的影响。线粒体细胞色素c氧化酶I，细胞色素b和核光感受器类维生素A结合蛋白基因用于这些目的。我们的结果表明，使用两种不同的线粒体DNA标记可以区分Spicara下的三个分类群。核DNA分析表明，生殖器官的分离S. maena和S. flexuosa完成了。人口统计学分析支持潜在的瓶颈之后，柔韧性链球菌的种群突然增长。测年分析的结果表明，在上新世的早期或中期，三种Spicara物种得到了分化。土耳其的Spicara flexuosa亚群之间缺乏遗传结构，表明在采样地点之间具有连通性，这表明土耳其海峡系统是该物种基因流动的通道。由于近几年皮卡尔种群的分布区域迅速减少，因此有必要进行单独的种群研究，以帮助做出有关美人链球菌的知情保护和管理决策。和S. flexuosa。