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Population structure in a wide-ranging coastal teleost (Argyrosomus japonicus, Sciaenidae) reflects marine biogeography across southern Australia

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 18:50 authored by Thomas BarnesThomas Barnes, Junge, C, Myers, SA, Taylor, MD, Rogers, PJ, Ferguson, GJ, Lieschke, JA, Donnellan, SC, Gillanders, BM
Population structure in marine teleosts is often investigated to aid conservation and fisheries management (e.g. to assess population structure to inform restocking programs). We assessed genetic population structure of the important estuary-associated marine fish, mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus), within Australian waters and between Australia and South Africa. Genetic variation was investigated at 13 polymorphic microsatellite markers. FST values and Bayesian estimates in STRUCTURE suggested population differentiation of mulloway within Australia and confirm strong differentiation between South Africa and Australia. The 12 Australian sample sets fell into one of four spatially separated genetic clusters. Initially, a significant signal of isolation-by-distance (IBD) was evident among Australian populations. However, further investigation by decomposed-pairwise-regression (DPR) suggested five sample sets were influenced more by genetic-drift, rather than gene-flow and drift equilibrium, as expected in strong IBD cases. Cryptic oceanographic and topographical influences may isolate mulloway populations from south-western Australia. The results demonstrate that DPR is suitable to assess population structure of coastal marine species where barriers to gene flow may be less obvious than in freshwater systems. Information on the relative strengths of gene flow and genetic drift facilitates a more comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary forces that lead to population structure, which in turn informs fisheries and assists conservation management. Large-bodied predatory scale-fish may be under increasing pressure on a global scale, owing to a variety of anthropogenic reasons. In southern Australia, the iconic sciaenid A. japonicus (mulloway, jewfish or kob) is no exception. Despite the species supporting important fisheries, much of its ecology is poorly understood. It is possible that a greater understanding of their genetic population structure can help ensure a sustainable future for the only southern Australian sciaenid.

History

Publication title

Marine and Freshwater Research

Volume

67

Issue

8

Pagination

1103-1113

ISSN

1323-1650

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

C S I R O Publishing

Place of publication

150 Oxford St, Po Box 1139, Collingwood, Australia, Victoria, 3066

Rights statement

Journal compilation copyright CSIRO 2016

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Wild caught crustaceans (excl. rock lobster and prawns); Coastal or estuarine biodiversity; Assessment and management of terrestrial ecosystems

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