Data from: Mitochondrial genetic structure and matrilineal origin of white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, in the Northeastern Pacific: implications for their conservation

White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias, WS henceforth) are globally and regionally threatened. Understanding their patterns of abundance and connectivity, as they relate to habitat use, is central for delineating conservation units and identifying priority areas for conservation. We analyzed mitochondrial data to test the congruence between patterns of genetic connectivity and of individual movements in the Northeastern Pacific (NEP) and to trace the matrilineal origin of immature WS from coastal California and Baja California to adult aggregation areas. We analyzed 186 mitochondrial control region sequences from sharks sampled in Central California (CC; n = 61), Southern California Bight (SCB; n = 25), Baja California Pacific coast (BCPC; n = 9), Bahía Vizcaíno (BV; n = 39), Guadalupe Island (GI; n = 45), and the Gulf of California (GC; n = 7). Significant mitochondrial differentiation between adult aggregation areas (CC, GI) revealed two reproductive populations in the NEP. We found general concordance between movement patterns of young and adult WS with genetic results. Young sharks from coastal California and Baja California were more likely born from females from GI. Mitochondrial differentiation of young-of-the-year from SCB and BV suggests philopatry to nursery areas in females from GI. These results provide a genetic basis of female reproductive behavior at a regional scale and point to a preponderance of sharks from GI in the use of the sampled coastal region as pupping habitat. These findings should be considered in Mexican and US management and conservation strategies of the WS NEP population.大白鲨（学名：Carcharodon carcharias，下文简称WS）在全球及区域尺度上均处于受威胁状态。明确其种群丰度格局、连通性特征及其与栖息地利用的关联，是划定保护单元、确定优先保护区域的核心依据。本研究通过分析线粒体数据，旨在检验东北太平洋（Northeastern Pacific, NEP）区域内遗传连通性模式与个体移动模式的一致性，并追溯加利福尼亚沿岸与下加利福尼亚沿岸未成熟大白鲨的母系起源，明确其成体聚集区的来源。本研究共分析了6个采样区域的186条线粒体控制区序列：中加利福尼亚（Central California, CC；样本量n=61）、南加利福尼亚滨海湾（Southern California Bight, SCB；n=25）、下加利福尼亚太平洋沿岸（Baja California Pacific coast, BCPC；n=9）、比斯开诺湾（Bahía Vizcaíno, BV；n=39）、瓜达卢佩岛（Guadalupe Island, GI；n=45）以及加利福尼亚湾（Gulf of California, GC；n=7）。成体聚集区（CC与GI）之间存在显著的线粒体遗传分化，表明东北太平洋区域存在两个繁殖种群。本研究发现，亚成体与成体大白鲨的移动模式与遗传分析结果总体一致。加利福尼亚沿岸与下加利福尼亚沿岸的幼鲨，更大概率由GI区域的雌性个体所产。SCB与BV区域当年生幼鲨的线粒体分化现象，提示GI种群的雌性个体存在育苗场归巢繁殖行为。本研究结果从遗传层面阐明了区域尺度下雌性大白鲨的繁殖行为特征，并指出在本次采样的沿岸育苗场中，源自GI种群的大白鲨个体占多数。上述研究结果应在墨西哥与美国针对东北太平洋大白鲨种群的管理与保护策略中予以参考应用。