To address patterns of genetic connectivity in a mass-aggregating marine fish, we analyzed genetic variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), microsatellites, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus). We expected Nassau grouper to exhibit genetic differentiation among its subpopulations due to its reproductive behavior and retentive oceanographic conditions experienced across the Caribbean basin. All samples were genotyped for two mitochondrial markers and 9 microsatellite loci, and a subset of samples were genotyped for 4,234 SNPs. We found evidence of genetic differentiation in a Caribbean-wide study of this mass-aggregating marine fish using mtDNA (FST = 0.206, p<0.001), microsatellites (FST = 0.002, p = 0.004) and SNPs (FST = 0.002, p = 0.014), and identified three potential barriers to larval dispersal. Genetically isolated regions identified in our work mirror those seen for other invertebrate and fish species in the Caribbean basin. Oceanographic regimes in the Caribbean may largely explain patterns of genetic differentiation among Nassau grouper subpopulations. Regional patterns observed warrant standardization of fisheries management and conservation initiatives among countries within genetically isolated regions.
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America;Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America;School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;Department of Zoology/Marine Biology, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, United States of America;Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America;Protection and Conservation Unit, Cayman Islands Department of the Environment, Grand Cayman, British West Indies;Departmento de Biología Marina, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México;The School for Field Studies, Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands;The School for Field Studies, Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands;Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America;Puerto Sea Grant, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico;Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
Recommended Citation:
Alexis M. Jackson,Brice X. Semmens,Yvonne Sadovy de Mitcheson,et al. Population Structure and Phylogeography in Nassau Grouper (Epinephelus striatus), a Mass-Aggregating Marine Fish[J]. PLOS ONE,2014-01-01,9(5)