Genomic analysis of a cardinalfish with larval homing potential reveals genetic admixture in the Okinawa Islands

Discrepancies between potential and observed dispersal distances of reef fish indicate the need for a better understanding of the influence of larval behaviour on recruitment and dispersal. Population genetic studies can provide insight on the degree to which populations are connected, and the development of restriction site-associated sequencing (RAD-Seq) methods has made such studies of nonmodel organisms more accessible. We applied double-digest RAD-Seq methods to test for population differentiation in the coral reef-dwelling cardinalfish, Siphamia tubifer, which based on behavioural studies, have the potential to use navigational cues to return to natal reefs. Analysis of 11,836 SNPs from fish collected at coral reefs in Okinawa, Japan, from eleven locations over 3 years reveals little genetic differentiation between groups of S. tubifer at spatial scales from 2 to 140 km and between years at one location: pairwise FST values were between 0.0116 and 0.0214. These results suggest tha...

礁岩鱼类的潜在扩散距离与实际观测扩散距离之间存在显著差异，这表明我们亟需更深入地解析幼体行为对种群补充与扩散过程的调控作用。种群遗传学研究可用于揭示种群间的连通程度，而限制性酶切位点相关测序（restriction site-associated sequencing, RAD-Seq）技术的发展，大幅降低了非模式生物开展此类研究的门槛。本研究采用双酶切RAD-Seq技术，对栖息于珊瑚礁的管天竺鲷（Siphamia tubifer）进行种群分化检测；基于此前的行为学研究，该物种具备利用导航线索返回原生珊瑚礁的潜能。我们对日本冲绳海域11处珊瑚礁的采样个体进行了为期3年的采集，最终获得11836个单核苷酸多态性（Single Nucleotide Polymorphism, SNPs）位点。分析结果显示：在2至140公里的空间尺度下，以及同一地点不同年份的采样组之间，管天竺鲷种群几乎不存在遗传分化；两两比较的FST值介于0.0116至0.0214之间。上述结果表明……