Mitochondrial DNA and electronic tracking reveal population structure of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) |
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Authors: | Andre M Boustany Carol A Reeb Barbara A Block |
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Institution: | (1) Stanford University, Hopkins Marine Station, Oceanview Blvd., Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA;(2) Present address: Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, USA |
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Abstract: | Population subdivision was examined in Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) through sequencing of the control region of the mitochondrial genome. A total of 178 samples from the spawning grounds in
the Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas and Mediterranean Sea were analyzed. Among the samples from these locations were 36 electronically
tagged bluefin tuna that were tagged in the North Atlantic and subsequently traveled to one of these known spawning grounds
during the spawning season. Bluefin tuna populations from the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea were found to be genetically
distinct based on Φst, and sequence nearest neighbor analyses, showing that these two major spawning areas support independent stocks. Sequence
nearest neighbor analysis indicated significant population subdivision among the Gulf of Mexico, western Mediterranean and
eastern Mediterranean Sea. However, it was not possible to find significant pairwise differences between any sampling areas
when using all samples. If only samples that had a high likelihood of assignment to a specific spawning site were used (young
of the year, spawning adults), the differentiation increased among all sampling areas and the Western Mediterranean Sea was
distinct from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It was not possible to distinguish samples from the Bahamas
from those collected at any of the other sampling sites. These data support tagging results that suggested distinctness of
the Gulf of Mexico, Eastern and Western Mediterranean Sea spawning areas. This level of stock differentiation is only possible
if Atlantic bluefin tuna show strong natal homing to individual spawning grounds. |
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