![Sample our Environment & Agriculture journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5934/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Environment-Agriculture.jpg"})
Abstract
The Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix is a highly migratory species that is composed of different stocks and populations along its nearly cosmopolitan distribution. The Bluefish is the only member of its genus and family, and high migration rates could prevent vicariant speciation across its wide geographical distribution. However, the extent of gene flow between distant populations is unknown. We employed two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome-c oxidase subunit I and cytochrome b) and eight nuclear microsatellite loci to study population structure and infer dispersal of this important commercial and recreational fish across its Northern Hemisphere distribution. Higher gene flow estimates for nuclear loci (of biparental inheritance) than for mitochondrial loci (of maternal inheritance) suggested sex-biased dispersal, which could be explained by greater female homing or fidelity to spawning sites and greater dispersal of males. Males could contribute more to transoceanic connectivity of Bluefish populations in the North Atlantic Ocean, thus shaping the observed pattern of spatial genetic structure of the Bluefish in its Northern Hemisphere distribution.
Received February 1, 2014; accepted June 9, 2014
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We are grateful to Maria del Carmen Sarasquete (Spanish National Research Council) for the CZ samples; Tevfik Ceyhan for the Turkish samples; Peter Clarke and John Murt for the FL samples; Keith Dunton for the NY samples; Mark Wuenschell for the NJ samples; Ryan Woodland for the MD samples; Jim Morley for the NC samples; and Ivan G. Pola and Greg Puncher for help in laboratory tasks. This work was supported by the Spanish National Grant Number CGL2009-08279. Sampling in U.S. waters was funded through the Bluefish/Striped Bass Research Program (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Laura Miralles holds a PCTI (Plan de Ciencia Tecnología e Innovación del Principado de Asturias) and FICYT (Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Científica Aplicada y la Tecnología en Asturias) Grant (BP 10-004) from the Asturias Regional Government.