Cuveliers, E.L., Larmuseau, M.H.D., Hellemans, B., Verherstraeten, S.L.N.A., Volckaert, F.A.M., and Maes, G.E. (2012) Multi-marker estimate of genetic connectivity of sole (Solea solea) in the North-East Atlantic Ocean. Marine Biology, 159 (6). pp. 1239-1253.

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Abstract

A thorough knowledge on the genetic connectivity of marine populations is important for fisheries management and conservation. Using a dense population sampling design and two types of neutral molecular markers (10 nuclear microsatellite loci and a mtDNA cytochrome b fragment), we inferred the genetic connectivity among the main known spawning grounds of sole (Solea solea L.) in the North-East Atlantic Ocean. The results revealed a clear genetic structure for sole in the North-East Atlantic Ocean with at least three different populations, namely the Kattegat/Skagerrak region, the North Sea and the Bay of Biscay, and with indications for a fourth population, namely the Irish/Celtic Sea. The lack of genetically meaningful differences between biological populations within the southern North Sea is likely due to a large effective population size and sufficient connection (gene flow) between populations. Nevertheless, an isolation-by-distance pattern was found based on microsatellite genotyping, while no such pattern was observed with the cytochrome b marker, indicating an historical pattern prevailing in the latter marker. Our results demonstrate the importance of a combined multi-marker approach to understand the connectivity among marine populations at region scales.

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