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（Carcharodon carcharias，下文简称WS）在全球及区域尺度上均面临生存威胁。明晰其种群丰度与连通性模式及其与栖息地利用的关联，是划定保护单元、确定保护优先区域的核心所在。本研究借助线粒体数据分析，验证了东北太平洋（Northeastern Pacific, NEP）区域内大白鲨的遗传连通性模式与个体移动模式的一致性，并追溯了源自加利福尼亚沿岸与下加利福尼亚沿岸的幼年WS的母系来源，以明确其对应成体聚集区的归属。本研究共分析了186条线粒体控制区序列，样本取自6个区域：中加利福尼亚（Central California, CC；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、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，幼年与成年大白鲨的移动模式与遗传分析结果总体一致。源自加利福尼亚沿岸与下加利福尼亚沿岸的幼年个体，其母系更大概率来自GI种群。来自SCB与BV区域的当年幼鲨的线粒体分化特征，表明GI种群的雌性个体存在向育苗区回迁的繁殖行为。本研究结果为区域尺度下雌性大白鲨的繁殖行为提供了遗传学依据，并表明在本次采样的沿岸育幼栖息地中，来自GI种群的个体占据主导地位。上述研究结果应被纳入墨西哥与美国针对东北太平洋WS种群的管理与保护策略之中。