Tensions between Americans and Europeans are running high in European waters. Among lobsters, that is. As a new study in G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics explains, the European lobster Homarus gammarus, which is already red-listed in parts of its range, is increasingly threatened by the American species Homarus americanus. H. americanus is typically larger and more aggressive than H. gammarus, and may compete with, prey upon, and potentially transmit novel pathogens to the European population. Additionally, limited evidence suggests the two species are hybridizing, raising concerns about maladaptive introgression and genetic integrity.

Accurately identifying species boundaries is a necessary first step to mitigate concerns about hybridization and measure its extent. However, admixed American and European lobsters are morphologically non-distinctive. Therefore, using genetic tools is imperative. Previous researchers used a panel of 79 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify first-generation (F1) lobster hybrids. Erik Røed et al. set out to evaluate whether this relatively economical 79-SNP panel could resolve introgression in subsequent generations, including F1 and F2 backcrosses.

All analyses used an empirical SNP dataset made up of 1,591 individuals genotyped at 79 SNP loci. Since 288 Mediterranean and previously identified hybrid individuals were excluded from the parental reference pools, the resampling analysis used 1,303 Atlantic European and American lobsters. The smaller 1,303-member dataset was used to generate new synthetic individuals to represent seven “true” ancestry classes corresponding to expected proportions of H. americanus ancestry. For instance, one class labeled 25% was a backcross toward H. gammarus, 12.5% was a second backcross toward Europe, and 87.5% was a second backcross toward America. For each class, the authors generated balanced datasets with equal sample size (N) per class, running 100 independent replicates per N.

The data indicated that the 79-SNP panel accurately identified European lobsters, American lobsters, and hybrids across several generations. However, an important caveat is that accuracy was highest for pure European and American lobsters and their F1 offspring and declined with repeated backcrossing. Uncertainty was especially high for distinguishing backcrosses toward H. gammarus.  

Based on these results, the 79-SNP panel could be used as a rapid-screening biosecurity tool to distinguish parental classes and F1 hybrids in areas where American lobsters have recently been detected. However, rigorous monitoring is necessary since the panel’s accuracy declines precipitously beyond first-generation hybrids. Moreover, the 79-SNP panel produced false positives one-third of the time, indicating the need for additional caution in interpreting results.

Beyond the lobster genetics findings, this research demonstrates the challenges and potential of molecular introgression monitoring for fisheries management and conservation efforts. These observations can inform genetic research on other economically valuable fisheries species, whether in the waters of Europe or America.

References

  • Røed ES, Ellis CD, Stevens JR, et al.. 2026. Resampling-Based Evaluation of a 79-SNP Panel for Hybrid Classification Across Generations: A Case Study in European Lobster (Homarus gammarus). Edited by A. Sethuramna. G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics 16 (10). https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkag206

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