Genetic diversity and differentiation of the orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) between and within cultured stocks and wild populations inferred from microsatellite DNA analysis.

Le Wang,Xiaochun Liu,Yong Zhang,Haoran Lin,Zining Meng

doi:10.3390/ijms12074378

Le Wang, Xiaochun Liu + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms12074378

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Abstract

In the present study, we employed microsatellite DNA markers to analyze the genetic diversity and differentiation between and within cultured stocks and wild populations of the orange-spotted grouper originating from the South China Sea and Southeast Asia. Compared to wild populations, genetic changes including reduced genetic diversity and significant differentiation have taken place in cultured grouper stocks, as shown by allele richness and heterozygosity studies, pairwise Fst, structure, molecular variance analysis, as well as multidimensional scaling analysis. Although two geographically adjacent orange-spotted grouper populations in China showed negligible genetic divergence, significant population differentiation was observed in wild grouper populations distributed in a wide geographical area from China, through Malaysia to Indonesia. However, the Mantel test rejected the isolation-by-distance model of genetic structure, which indicated the genetic differentiation among the populations could result from the co-effects of various factors, such as historical dispersal, local environment, ocean currents, river flows and island blocks. Our results demonstrated that microsatellite markers could be suitable not only for genetic monitoring cultured stocks but also for revealing the population structuring of wild orange-spotted grouper populations. Meanwhile, our study provided important information for breeding programs, management of cultured stocks and conservation of wild populations of the orange-spotted grouper.

Highlights

The orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides), an economically high valued marine food fish species belongs to the subfamily Epinephelinae [1], which inhabits in a large area from eastern Africa, south to at least Durban (South Africa), east to the western Pacific from the Ryukyu Islands to Australia, and eastward to Palau and Fiji [2]
We employed microsatellite DNA markers to compare the genetic diversity and differentiation between and within cultured stocks and wild populations of the orange-spotted grouper originating from the South China Sea and Southeast Asia including Malaysia and Indonesia
Our goals were to evaluate the putative genetic changes in cultured stocks as a result of founder effect, random genetic drift and inbreeding during aquaculture practices compared to wild populations, and examine the population differentiation within samples distributed in a wide area from China, through Malaysia to Indonesia in order to facilitate the breeding programs of the orange-spotted grouper

Summary

Introduction

The orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides), an economically high valued marine food fish species belongs to the subfamily Epinephelinae (family, Serranidae) [1], which inhabits in a large area from eastern Africa, south to at least Durban (South Africa), east to the western Pacific from the Ryukyu Islands to Australia, and eastward to Palau and Fiji [2]. Due to overfishing and habitat destruction, the wild populations of the orange-spotted grouper have declined greatly in recent years and this species has been classified as nearly threatened [3]. The most important achievement is successful practices in aquaculture for the orange-spotted grouper, which can alleviate the fishing pressure on wild populations [4]. According to the FAO fishery statistics, the global aquaculture production of the orange-spotted grouper has dramatically increased nearly 40-fold between 1999 and. It has become one of the grouper species most commonly cultured on commercial scales in Asian-Pacific region and a major food fish in Hong Kong live fish markets in China [6]

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