Complete mitochondrial genome of the yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and the blackfin tuna (Thunnus atlanticus): notes on mtDNA introgression and paraphyly on tunas

• Published in: Conservation genetics resources Vol. 10; no. 4; pp. 697 - 699
• Main Authors: Bayona-Vásquez, N. J., Glenn, T. C., Uribe-Alcocer, M., Pecoraro, C., Díaz-Jaimes, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.12.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal Genetics and Genomics; Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Conservation Biology/Ecology; Ecology; Evolutionary Biology; Genomes; Life Sciences; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial DNA; Phylogeny; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Species; Technical Note; Thunnus; Thunnus alalunga; Thunnus albacares; Thunnus atlanticus; Thunnus obesus; Thunnus orientalis; Tunas; Mitochondrial genome; Yellowfin; Bluefin
• ISSN: 1877-7252; 1877-7260
• DOI: 10.1007/s12686-017-0904-0

The genus Thunnus is composed of eight species, which are separated into two groups, the temperate subgenus Thunnus (bluefin tunas group) and the tropical subgenus Neothunnus (yellowfin tunas group). We obtained the mitochondrial genome for two species from the yellowfin group, Thunnus albacares and Thunnus atlanticus , and compared to those from extant Thunnus species to reconstruct the mtDNA phylogenetic relationship within the genus. Our results coincide with previous studies using mtDNA and nuclear loci in the paraphyly of the bluefin group mainly as a result of the position of Thunnus obesus within the tree. Also, we support the introgression hypothesis of the mtDNA from albacore into Pacific Bluefin tuna.