Genetic population structure of the Blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo): contribution of mtDNA control region to fisheries management

Joana I Robalo,Inês Farias,Sara M Francisco,Karen Avellaneda,Rita Castilho,Ivone Figueiredo

doi:10.1080/24701394.2021.1882445

Abstract

Marine fisheries management models have traditionally considered biological parameters and geopolitical boundaries. The result is the existence of fisheries management units that do not match genetic populations. However, this panorama is changing with the contribution of genetic and genomic data. Pagellus bogaraveo is a commercially important sparid in the northeast Atlantic, with three stock components being considered by ICES: the Celtic Sea and Bay of Biscay, Atlantic Iberian waters and the Azores. The northern stock collapsed (1975–1985) and is essential to characterize the genetic makeup of the species, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, where it is managed as a single stock. The mitochondrial control region was used to screen the intraspecific diversity and population structure of individuals from six locations across the species range. The genetic diversity found is similar among sites, and there is differentiation between the Azores and the remaining locations.

Highlights

The assessment of the exploitation status of marine resources requires information on various aspects of their populations, such as structure, spatial and temporal dynamics, as well as aspects of their biology, namely growth and reproduction
The panorama is changing with the ever-increasing genetic and genomic data contributing to the identification of natural populations (Benestan et al 2016; Kerr et al 2016; Benestan 2019; Hohenlohe et al 2020) and the detection of connectivity patterns in species showing low levels of population structuring (Kelley et al 2016; Zang et al 2020)
Despite the increasing number of studies of genomics in stock determination (Pecoraro et al 2018; Schulze et al 2020) mitochondrial DNA keeps being used as a genetic tool mainly due to its molecular characteristics

Summary

Introduction

The assessment of the exploitation status of marine resources requires information on various aspects of their populations, such as structure, spatial and temporal dynamics, as well as aspects of their biology, namely growth and reproduction. The panorama is changing with the ever-increasing genetic and genomic data contributing to the identification of natural populations (Benestan et al 2016; Kerr et al 2016; Benestan 2019; Hohenlohe et al 2020) and the detection of connectivity patterns in species showing low levels of population structuring (Kelley et al 2016; Zang et al 2020). Within the mtDNA molecule, genes evolve at different rates, with slowly evolving genes (like cytochrome oxidase I, COI) being used for comparisons at the species (e.g. barcoding, allowing for species identification, either in whole species or fish products) and intraspecific level, proving its value as a stock assessment tool (Ovenden 1990; Antoniou and Magoulas 2014)

Methods

Results

Conclusion