A Genetic Comparison of Sympatric Populations of Sand Lance (Genus Ammodytes) from the Region East of Cape Soya, Japan

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• Main Author: Okamoto, Hiroaki
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1989
• Subjects: Kodiak; Alaska
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f89-244; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f89-244

Sand fance (Genus Ammodytes) collected from four stations off Japan and one station at Kodiak, Alaska were genetically characterized at 17 protein coding loci using starch-gel electrophoresis. Sand lance in Wakkanai (Cape Soya, Japan) consist of two genetically distinct groups. They are fixed for different alleles at four loci (Ldh-2, -3, G3pdh-2, and Mdhp-2). The genetic structure of one of the groups (Wakkanai-a group, W-a) is similar to that of A. personatus around Japan. The other group (Wakkanai-b group, W-b) has different genetic structure from either A. personatus or the Alaskan collection, which is presumed to belong to A. hexapterus. It is not presently possible to identify the affiliation of the W-b group; however, despite its sympatry with the W-a group, it is reproductively isolated and therefore is probably a distinct species occurring northeast of Hokkaido.