Population differentiation in megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) and four spotted megrim (Lepidorhombus boscii) across Atlantic and Mediterranean waters and implications for wild stock management

• Published in: Marine biology Vol. 156; no. 9; pp. 1869 - 1880
• Main Authors: Danancher, Delphine, Garcia-Vazquez, Eva
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.08.2009; Springer Berlin Heidelberg; Springer; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Adults; Agnatha. Pisces; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biodiversity and Ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; E coli; Environmental Sciences; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic diversity; Genetic structure; Lepidorhombus boscii; Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis; Life Sciences; Marine; Marine & Freshwater Sciences; Marine biology; Marine fish; Microbiology; Oceanography; Original Paper; Population differentiation; Population genetics; Population structure; Sea water ecosystems; Studies; Synecology; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Zoology; MED; ANE, Atlantic, Mediterranean Water; Mediterranean Population; Population Genetic Differentiation; Atlantic Population; Genotypic Linkage Disequilibrium; Flatfish Species; Marine environment; Vertebrata; Differentiation; Pisces; Stock
• ISSN: 0025-3162; 1432-1793
• DOI: 10.1007/s00227-009-1219-9

Megrim, Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis, and four spot megrim, Lepidorhombus boscii, are two marine fish species of high commercial interest. Despite their quite heavy exploitation little is known on the genetic structure of their populations. The present work aimed at characterizing the first seven microsatellites markers available for the two megrim species. These new markers were in a second step employed to describe the population structure of the two species among their almost entire habitat range (Atlantic and Mediterranean samples). Our study confirmed the existence of a strong genetic difference between Atlantic and Mediterranean megrim species already described in the literature for L. whiffiagonis on the basis of variations at ribosomal genes. Additionally our analysis gave the first evidences of a strong genetic differentiation among Atlantic populations in both megrim species (within Atlantic global FST in L. whiffiagonis and L. boscii were respectively 0.158 and 0.145). When describing megrim population structure, the comparison between allele-frequency-based tests (FST comparisons) and genotype-based inferences (Bayesian approach) gave evidences of a hierarchical structure of the populations. In conclusion, our work enlighten the existence of two different stocks within the Atlantic Ocean and one in the Mediterranean Sea that will clearly need to be managed separately. As the present results do not fully support the current megrim stock boundaries they will surely help to rethink megrim management policies in the future.