Mitochondrial DNA analysis of population structure in the Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus (Perciformes: Sciaenidae)
Date
1999
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
United States. National Marine Fisheries Service.
Abstract
Genetic population struc-
ture in Atlantic croaker (
Micropogonias
undulatus
Linnaeus) was examined by
using the polymerase chain reaction
(PCR) and restriction fragment length
polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of mi-
tochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Juvenile
croaker from three U.S. Atlantic locali-
ties (Delaware, North Carolina, and
Florida) and one Gulf of Mexico local-
ity (Louisiana) were screened to docu-
ment the magnitude and spatial distri-
bution of mtDNA variation in
M.
undulatus
; to evaluate the integrity of
Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, as a
genetic stock boundary; and to estimate
levels of gene flow among Atlantic lo-
calities to provide an improved basis for
future decisions regarding coastwide
management of this fishery resource.
RFLP analysis of the ATPase 6 and
D-loop mtDNA regions revealed a total
of 15 composite haplotypes in 93 indi-
viduals. Monte Carlo simulations re-
vealed no geographic heterogeneity in
mtDNA haplotype frequencies among
Atlantic localities and no evidence that
juveniles collected north and south of
Cape Hatteras originated from sepa-
rate gene pools (net sequence diver-
gence=–0.002%). There was significant
heterogeneity between Atlantic and
Gulf of Mexico samples, suggesting re-
stricted gene flow between these two re-
gions. Analysis of molecular variance
also indicated regional (Atlantic versus
Gulf) population structure, but pro-
vided no evidence that Cape Hatteras
represents a genetic stock boundary.
AMOVA indicated relatively high gene
flow (
N
e
m
U
= 12–23 effective female mi-
grants per generation) among Atlantic
localities. These findings are consistent
with 1) a single genetic stock of
M
.
undulatus
on the Atlantic coast and 2)
separate, weakly differentiated stocks
in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.
Description
Publisher's PDF.
Keywords
Citation
Lankford et al.: Population structure in Micropogonias undulatus. Fish. Bull. 97:884-890 (1999)