Analysis of genetic population structure of an endangered Serranid fish species in the South Korean waters: a bioinformatic simulation

Abstract

Groupers (Order: Perciformes, Family: Serranidae) are of the most economically important fishes in the world to both fisheries and aquaculture sectors. Several species are now classified as endangered. Red-spotted, Hong Kong grouper, Epinephelus akaara, is a grouper that provides high economic values for the markets in Hong Kong and Japan. This species falls under the International Union for Conservation of the Nature (IUCN) Red List of endangered species. In order to perform a bioinformatic simulating analysis for the genetic population structure of this species in the South Korean waters, more specifically in Namhae island, 73 nucleotide sequences of cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) were retrieved from the GenBank database. Number of haplotypes, polymorphic sites, and the interrelationships between haplotypes were all determined. The results indicated the main haplotype lineages in the area of study. Also, signs of recent population expansion could be detected, alongside with identifying some low frequency haplotypes that may have originated as a result of adaptation to the conditions at this area. This study resulted in partitioning of E. akaara population in the Namhae island into several units of interest for conservation.