Dataset Information

Pleistocene isolation caused by sea-level fluctuations shaped genetic characterization of Pampus minor over a large-scale geographical distribution.

ABSTRACT: The southern lesser pomfret (Pampus minor) is an economically important fish, and its numbers are declining because of overfishing and environmental pollution. In addition, owing to the similarities of its external morphological characteristics to other species in the genus Pampus, it is often mistaken for grey pomfret (P. cinereus) or silver pomfret (P. argenteus) juveniles. In this study, the genetic diversity and structure of 264 P. minor individuals from 11 populations in China and Malaysia coastal waters were evaluated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, using mitochondrial cytochrome b fragments. The results showed that P. minor had moderate haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity. Furthermore, two divergent lineages were detected within the populations, but the phylogenetic structure corresponded imperfectly with geographical location; thus, the populations may have diverged in different glacial refugia during the Pleistocene low sea levels. Analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA) showed that genetic variation originated primarily from individuals within the population. Pairwise F ST results showed significant differentiation between the Chinese and Malaysian populations. Except for the Xiamen population, which was classified as a marginal population, the genetic differentiation among the other Chinese populations was not significant. During the Late Pleistocene, P. minor experienced a population expansion event starting from the South China Sea refugium that expanded outward, and derivative populations quickly occupied and adapted to the new habitat. The results of this study will provide genetic information for the scientific conservation and management of P. minor resources.

SUBMITTER: Li Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7515929 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Pleistocene isolation caused by sea-level fluctuations shaped genetic characterization of Pampus minor over a large-scale geographical distribution.

Li Yuan Y Liu Cheng C Lin Longshan L Li Yuanyuan Y Xiao Jiaguang J Loh Kar-Hoe KH

ZooKeys 20200817

The southern lesser pomfret (Pampus minor) is an economically important fish, and its numbers are declining because of overfishing and environmental pollution. In addition, owing to the similarities of its external morphological characteristics to other species in the genus Pampus, it is often mistaken for grey pomfret (P. cinereus) or silver pomfret (P. argenteus) juveniles. In this study, the genetic diversity and structure of 264 P. minor individuals from 11 ...[more]

PMID: 33013170

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundThe study of speciation in the marine realm is challenging because of the apparent absence of physical barriers to dispersal, which are one of the main drivers of genetic diversity. Although phylogeographic studies using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) information often reveal significant genetic heterogeneity within marine species, the evolutionary significance of such diversity is difficult to interpret with these markers. In the northwestern (NW) Pacific, several studies have emphasised the potential importance of sea-level regression during the most recent glaciations as a driver of genetic diversity in marine species. These studies have failed, however, to determine whether the period of isolation was long enough for divergence to attain speciation. Among these marine species, the cosmopolitan estuarine-dependent fish Mugil cephalus represents an interesting case study. Several divergent allopatric mtDNA lineages have been described in this species worldwide, and three occur in sympatry in the NW Pacific.ResultsTen nuclear microsatellites were surveyed to estimate the level of genetic isolation of these lineages and determine the role of sea-level fluctuation in the evolution of NW Pacific M. cephalus. Three cryptic species of M. cephalus were identified within this region (NWP1, 2 and 3) using an assignment test on the microsatellite data. Each species corresponds with one of the three mtDNA lineages in the COI phylogenetic tree. NWP3 is the most divergent species, with a distribution range that suggests tropical affinities, while NWP1, with a northward distribution from Taiwan to Russia, is a temperate species. NWP2 is distributed along the warm Kuroshio Current. The divergence of NWP1 from NWP2 dates back to the Pleistocene epoch and probably corresponds to the separation of the Japan and China Seas when sea levels dropped. Despite their subsequent range expansion since this period of glaciation, no gene flow was observed among these three lineages, indicating that speciation has been achieved.ConclusionsThis study successfully identified three cryptic species in M. cephalus inhabiting the NW Pacific, using a combination of microsatellites and mitochondrial genetic markers. The current genetic architecture of the M. cephalus species complex in the NW Pacific is the result of a complex interaction of contemporary processes and historical events. Sea level and temperature fluctuations during Plio-Pleistocene epochs probably played a major role in creating the marine species diversity of the NW Pacific that is found today.

Dataset Information

Pleistocene isolation caused by sea-level fluctuations shaped genetic characterization of Pampus minor over a large-scale geographical distribution.

Publications

Pleistocene isolation caused by sea-level fluctuations shaped genetic characterization of <i>Pampus minor</i> over a large-scale geographical distribution.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets