Abstract
Studies based on molecular genetics offer the possibility to understand the structure of populations and provide data to implement measures designed to protect them. Caranx hippos, is a fish with a wide distribution in the Western Atlantic, becoming one of the most economically important species in the artisanal fishing industry in Colombia. However, little is known about its biology. The present study aimed to evaluate the variation and genetic structure of C. hippos in the Colombian Caribbean by analyzing the mitochondrial DNA region control and cytochrome oxidase subunit (COI). We sequenced the DNA of 153 muscle samples collected from specimens obtained from six fishing ports. The results showed 21 haplotypes for COI and 116 haplotypes for the control region, divided into two lineages that do not exhibit a pattern of geographical distribution. For mitochondrial control region, the estimated haplotype diversity (Hd) presented relatively high values (Hd = 0.99 and = 0.1), while for COI results were Hd = 0.68 and = 0.01; the relationship between haplotype and nucleotide diversity and the neutrality test revealed that C. hippos experienced bottlenecking and a subsequent rapid population expansion. Estimates of genetic structure were low and insignificant, indicating no differentiation between samples collected from geographical isolation. This suggests that for the Colombian Caribbean there is a panmictic population of C. hippos. However, variations were found at population levels, especially in La Guajira, Turbo and San Antero, which, when compared to those included for Brazil and México, demonstrated that unique haplotypes in La Guajira are more aligned to the Brazilian populations, by means of the influence of the Caribbean Current, whilst those from Turbo and San Antero are more frequent in haplotypes originating from Mexico. Future studies should focus the understanding of these processes.
Highlights
Marine fishing resources are often managed under the assumption of panmixia, taking into account that their populations are genetically homogenous due to: i) the absence of geographical barriers, ii) the capacity for dispersion, iii) the tendency to have large population numbers, iv) and the migrations which influence the low level of genetic drift, delaying differentiation amongst populations (Ward, Woodwark, & Skibinski, 1994; Nesbø, Rueness, Iversen, Skagen, & Jakobsen, 2000)
Among the fishing resources of great importance in the artisanal fishing sector of the Colombian Caribbean, the crevalle jack (Caranx hippos) stands out; artisanal fishers have aroused an interest in this resource, as an increase in its catch has been evident, with figures passing from 44 tons in 2007 to 167 tons in 2011 (Caiafa-Hernández, NarvaézBarandica, & Borrero-Flórez, 2011; MADR & CCI, 2012)
There is need to develop strategies for its management and conservation. This way, and due to this requirement, two questions arose: 1) how many populations of crevalle jack are there in the Colombian Caribbean? and 2) is there a geographical pattern in the variability and genetic structure that could be associated to the evolutionary history of the species? For this, we used two molecular markers: the hypervariable domain of the control region, and the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) region in samples collected along different sectors of the Colombian Caribbean
Summary
Marine fishing resources are often managed under the assumption of panmixia, taking into account that their populations are genetically homogenous due to: i) the absence of geographical barriers, ii) the capacity for dispersion, iii) the tendency to have large population numbers, iv) and the migrations which influence the low level of genetic drift, delaying differentiation amongst populations (Ward, Woodwark, & Skibinski, 1994; Nesbø, Rueness, Iversen, Skagen, & Jakobsen, 2000). Among the fishing resources of great importance in the artisanal fishing sector of the Colombian Caribbean, the crevalle jack (Caranx hippos) stands out; artisanal fishers have aroused an interest in this resource, as an increase in its catch has been evident, with figures passing from 44 tons in 2007 to 167 tons in 2011 (Caiafa-Hernández, NarvaézBarandica, & Borrero-Flórez, 2011; MADR & CCI, 2012) This migratory species is known to form shoals, with a geographical distribution that extends from Portugal in the Eastern Atlantic to Angola, including the Western Mediterranean, the East from Nova Scotia to Uruguay and the Greater Antilles (Robins & Ray, 1986; Cervigón, 1993). Posada and Sandoval (2007) studied the reproductive aspects of C. hippos in Bocas de Ceniza (Atlántico), estimating absolute fertility rates between 3 304 700 and 4 975 000 eggs per gonad They concluded that this species completes its annual reproductive cycle with two spawning periods in January-February and June-July, and that it is a continuous multi-portioned asynchronous spawner. This way, and due to this requirement, two questions arose: 1) how many populations of crevalle jack are there in the Colombian Caribbean? and 2) is there a geographical pattern in the variability and genetic structure that could be associated to the evolutionary history of the species? For this, we used two molecular markers: the hypervariable domain of the control region, and the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) region in samples collected along different sectors of the Colombian Caribbean
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