The role of ancestral seascape discontinuity and geographical distance in structuring rockfish populations in the Pacific Northwest

Abstract

Despite the apparent absence of physical barriers in the ocean to prevent dispersal, recent studies have highlighted the importance of biological, geographical, physical, and historical barriers in the genetic structuring of marine species populations. This representation is essential for the sustainable exploitation of natural marine resources and for the setup of efficient protected area networks for the conservation of marine species. In this study, we used extensive sampling of Sebastiscus marmoratus, a commercially important inshore rockfish with high site fidelity, to characterize their population genetic structure along the China–Japan coast and to determine the effect of past geological and current biological–physical barriers on the current genetic footprint. A 461-bp fragment of the mtDNA hypervariable portion control region was sequenced for 675 individuals from 15 geographical locations. A total of 292 haplotypes were identified. The population of S. marmoratus showed high haplotype and nucleotide diversity. Pairwise fixation index (FST) and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed significant genetic differentiation among populations. The Bayesian skyline plots and neutrality statistics showed a sudden expansion of the S. marmoratus population around the Pleistocene. The Beibu Gulf group had the lowest mean number of pairwise differences, the lowest significant genetic differentiation, and the lowest haplotype and nucleotide diversity, and should be prioritized for protection in the future. Ocean currents, seascape discontinuity, geographical distance, and ecological characteristics may play an important role in shaping the contemporary phylogeographical patterns and population structures of S. marmoratus.