Estructura genetica del copepodo Acartia lilljeborgii en la costa del estado de Yucatan, Mexico

Abstract

We determined the genetic population structure and its implications within the food chain of the copepod Acartia lilljeborgii on the coast of Yucatan, by using isozymes and subsequent determination by electrophoresis. Nine systems were expressed up to 30-loci. Polymorphism and heterozygosity of the populations studied, when compared with other species of copepods were found to be low. The ST2 and PGM1 loci were expressed in all sampling sites. PGM1 showed the highest heterozygosity value (0.4728) and GPI1, with a value of 0.3200 was the lowest value. No system departed from the condition of the Hardy- Weinberg equilibrium. FST values were between values of -0.0798 to 0.5899 and the PGM1 for FBP1. The three populations of A. lilljeborgii analyzed in the coast of Yucatan, had low variability and genetic differentiation among populations, as indicated by the genetic distance values of 0.0585 which was the largest for the populations of Chelem and Rio Lagartos, suggesting that these populations are partially isolated. However, since A. lilljeborgii diapausic or resting eggs, which can be transported in or out of these bodies of water, it is likely that this condition holds allelic and genotypic frequencies similar or very close together. The results showed the existence of gene flow, given through a passive dispersal of diapausic eggs produced by this specie.