Genetics of a Lessepsian sprinter: the bluespotted cornetfish, Fistularia commersonii

Abstract

Our current understanding of the mechanisms that lead to successful biological invasions is limited. Although local adaptation plays a central role in biological invasions, genetic studies have failed to produce a unified theory so far. The bluespotted cornetfish, a recent invader of the Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal, provides an ideal case study to research the mechanisms of invasive genetics. Previous genetic work based on mitochondrial markers has shown the genetic diversity of the Mediterranean population was greatly reduced in comparison to the natural population in the Red Sea. In the current study, we expand upon these studies by adding mitochondrial and nuclear markers. Mitochondrial results confirm previous findings. The nuclear marker, however, does not show evidence of reduction in diversity. We interpret these results as either a differential dispersal capability in males and females, or the presence of selection on the invading Mediterranean population.

Keywords:

• Fistularia
• commersonii
• Lessepsian bioinvasion
• Red Sea
• Mediterranean

Acknowledgements

This manuscript is dedicated to the memory of our colleague Professor Uzi Ritte.

Additional information

Funding

The work was funded by an Initiative for Maximizing Student Development/National Institute of Health (IMSD/NIH) grant.

Notes on contributors

Kimberly Tenggardjaja

Kim Tenggardjaja is finishing her PhD at the University of California Santa Cruz. Her dissertation research focuses on understanding genetic connectivity in endemic damselfishes in the Hawaiian Archipelago. She is interested in using connectivity data to inform the design of networks of marine protected areas.

Alexis Jackson

Alexis Jackson is currently a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow with NOAA Fisheries in the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management Division based in Silver Spring, MD. Her research interests are related to the incorporation of genetic data into marine reserve design, fisheries management and marine policy for commercially exploited fishes.

Frank Leon

Frank Leon is an undergraduate researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz, working on the Molecular Biology of fishes and other organisms.

Ernesto Azzurro

Ernesto Azzurro is a researcher at the Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Livorno, Italy. His work deals with the ecology and biology of non-indigenous fishes and with the study of current changes in Mediterranean fish diversity.

Daniel Golani

Daniel Golani is a Curator of Life Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research focuses on Mediterranean and Red Sea fishes, their taxonomy, biology, ecology and zoogeography with an emphasis on Red Sea species colonizing the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal.

Giacomo Bernardi

Giacomo Bernardi is a Professor at the University of California Santa Cruz. He works on phylogenetics, population genetics and speciation of fishes, including Lessepsian bioinvaders.