Population genetic structure of the parasite Anisakis simplex (s. s.) collected in Clupea harengus L. from North East Atlantic fishing grounds

• Published in: Fisheries Research
• Main Authors: Mattiucci, Simonetta, Pierce, Graham J., Nascetti, Giuseppe
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2018
• Subjects: Clupea harengus; Herring stocks; North East Atlantic Ocean; Anisakis simplex (sensu stricto); Genetic marker; mtDNA cox2; Population genetics; Norwegian Sea; North Atlantic; North East Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/165606; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2017.08.002

9 pages, 3 figures, 5 tables.-- Simonetta Mattiucci . et al. The Atlantic herring is a schooling, pelagic species that inhabits both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean. Herring stock identification is usually based on several approaches, including fish meristic characters, population genetic analysis and the use of parasite species composition. A total of 654 Anisakis spp. larvae collected from herring of four fishing grounds in the Norwegian Sea, Baltic Sea, North Sea, and the English Channel off the French coast, was identified to species level using diagnostic allozymes and sequence analysis of EF1 α−1 nDNA and the mtDNA cox2 genes. Population genetic differentiation of Anisakis simplex (s. s.) among the different fishing areas was estimated, at the intraspecific level, on the basis of mtDNA cox2 sequences analysis. Spatial comparison based on molecular variance analysis and Fst values was performed for the collected specimens (among regions). Haplotype network construction showed relevant differences in haplotype frequencies between samples of A. simplex (s. s.) from the different geographical areas. Results indicate a genetic sub-structuring of A. simplex (s. s.) obtained from herring in different areas, with the population from the Norwegian Sea being the most differentiated one, and with North Sea and Baltic Sea populations being most similar. The population genetic structure of A. simplex (s. s.) was in accordance with the herring population genetic structure throughout the host’s geographical range in the NE Atlantic. Results suggest that mtDNA cox2 is a suitable genetic marker for A. simplex (s. s.) population genetic structure analysis and a valuable tool to elucidate the herring stock structure in the NE Atlantic Ocean The research was carried out with funding received from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration, under the grant agreement no. 312068 “PARASITE” Peer reviewed