Population genetic structure of two abyssal grenadiers of the north Atlantic and northeastern Pacific oceans

• Main Author: Olson, Cody R.
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: California State University, Long Beach 2017
• Subjects: Biology|Genetics; Pacific; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10252905

I studied the population genetic structure of abyssal grenadier: Coryphaenoides armatus and Coryphaenoides yaquinae of the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean basins, testing the hypothesis that population genetic structure is detectable by microsatellite allele analysis. I determined allele frequencies at six microsatellite loci, assessing genetic structure using Jost’s Dest. Pacific versus Atlantic C. armatus yielded Dest comparable to Pacific C. armatus caught 170 km apart. Given the subspecies designation of North Pacific versus Atlantic C. armatus, it was unexpected that Dest of the former comparison would approximate the latter; or that the latter would be significant at all. Pacific fish may exhibit depth-driven genetic structure. Coryphaenoides yaquinae of the eastern Pacific, CCZ, and central North Pacific were also compared. Only the CCZ versus eastern Pacific yielded unambiguously significant Dest. Similar values among Dest in both species suggest horizontal distances among sampling sites are not the principal driver of population genetic structure.