Abstract
Siphonaria pectinata is a marine gastropod distributed across the shores of the Western and Eastern Atlantic. Although previous studies have indicated that the species could be a recent introduction to Central and North America from Western Africa and Europe, other authors have questioned this statement. In fact, a recent study has shown that individuals from both sides of the Atlantic are genetically disconnected, rejecting the idea of a recent invasion. However, genetic information on this species is very scarce and based only on a single study using a limited number of specimens and sites. The data reported in the present study represent one step forward, collecting information from 119 specimens from 22 sites that cover the entire distributional range of the species. Populations from the Western Atlantic separated from eastern ones around 1.4−1.9 Mya, whereas the centre of dispersion is located on the eastern side of the Atlantic. Siphonaria pectinata should be considered native to the Western Atlantic and cannot be considered as a species with an amphi‐atlantic distribution owing to the lack of genetic connection between both sides of the Atlantic, as previous authors have pointed out. The presence of a star‐shaped phylogeny is discussed in the context of Plio‐Pleistocene glaciations.