Abstract
In the present study, five loci (mitochondrial and nuclear) were sequenced to determine the genetic diversity, population structure, and demographic history of populations of the yellowtail snapper, Ocyurus chrysurus, found along the coast of the western South Atlantic. O. chrysurus is a lutjanid species that is commonly associated with coral reefs and exhibits an ample geographic distribution, and it can therefore be considered a good model for the investigation of phylogeographic patterns and genetic connectivity in marine environments. The results reflected a marked congruence between the mitochondrial and nuclear markers as well as intense gene flow among the analyzed populations, which represent a single genetic stock along the entire coast of Brazil between the states of Pará and Espírito Santo. Our data also showed high levels of genetic diversity in the species (mainly mtDNA), as well a major historic population expansion, which most likely coincided with the sea level oscillations at the end of the Pleistocene. In addition, this species is intensively exploited by commercial fisheries, and data on the genetic structure of its populations will be essential for the development of effective conservation and management plans.
Highlights
Preservation of the biological diversity of any ecosystem is essential for evaluation of the distribution and connectivity of its populations [1] and the factors that determine these patterns
The indices of haplotypic diversity were high in the control region (CR) (h = 0.963±0.010) and lower for Cytochrome b (Cytb) (h = 0.653±0.002), and the same pattern was observed in the case of nucleotide diversity, with π = 1.7% for the CR, but only π = 0.15% for Cytb (Table 2)
The pattern of genetic homogeneity observed in O. chrysurus in the present study is similar to that found in other lutjanids, such as Lutjanus kasmira [59], Pristipomoides filamentosus [60], L. campechanus [6], and L. purpureus [5]
Summary
Preservation of the biological diversity of any ecosystem is essential for evaluation of the distribution and connectivity of its populations [1] and the factors that determine these patterns. Considering the marine environment, opportunities for isolation to occur between populations are rare [2,3,4]. Many marine fish species tend to present a high degree of genetic connectivity, despite being distributed over thousands of kilometers of ocean, this is often attributed to the PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0122173. Many marine fish species tend to present a high degree of genetic connectivity, despite being distributed over thousands of kilometers of ocean, this is often attributed to the PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0122173 March 13, 2015
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