Elsevier

Fisheries Research

Volume 59, Issues 1–2, 30 December 2002, Pages 57-69
Fisheries Research

Spatial genetic subdivision between northern Australian and southeast Asian populations of Pristipomoides multidens: a tropical marine reef fish species

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-7836(01)00415-5Get rights and content

Abstract

Nucleotide sequence polymorphism in the left domain of the control region of the mitochondrial genome of over 700 goldband snapper (Pristipomoides multidens) was surveyed using both direct sequencing and innovative restriction enzyme cleavage analysis techniques. Southeast Asian populations were sampled adjacent to western Irian Jaya, northern Papua New Guinea and western Timor. Six Australian populations were sampled from adjacent to Exmouth in western Australia to Weipa in the northern Gulf of Carpentaria. The results show that significant genetic structure occurs among Indonesian and Australian waters along national boundaries; 14% of the total molecular variance among restriction site haplotypes was due to genetic distinction between Indonesian and Australian samples. Several lines of evidence suggest that gene flow does not occur freely along the northern and western Australian coastline, particularly on the northwestern Kimberley coast. Australian fisheries managers need to be alerted to the possibility of at least one genetically distinct population of this important commercial species which should be protected from over-harvesting that may otherwise lead to localised extinction and the erosion of genetic diversity. There is no convincing biological argument for the observed genetic disjunction in the Kimberley area. It may be due to the combined effect of past sea-level changes, sampling error or patterns of exploitation.

Introduction

Most marine species have complex life histories and generally experience large amounts of gene flow (Ovenden et al., 1992, Palumbi, 1994, McMillen-Jackson et al., 1994). In marine systems, the complete cessation of gene flow caused by an impenetrable barrier under a vicariant scenario is probably rare due to the generally large population size and ubiquitous distribution of marine species. Rather, stochastic factors as well as natural selection, local genetic drift and behaviour influence the degree of gene flow. Gene flow may also be restricted by less stringent physical mechanisms such as environmental clines, although rarely is the nature of these well known. Flying fish on the western coast of South America are an example of species with a high potential for dispersal but inferred low gene flow (Gomes et al., 1999). The species spawns off-shore has pelagic larvae and is found in a region of intense long-shore currents; yet adjacent population samples are genetically distinct. Doherty et al. (1995) found that the magnitude of gene flow was proportional to the logarithm of the length of larval life across seven fish species in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Goldband snapper (Pristipomoides multidens) inhabit reefs on hard bottom areas at depths of 60 to at least 180 m (Allen, 1985). It is a long-lived species with individual ages calculated from otolith growth rings of up to 30 years. The species is widely distributed throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region from Samoa in the central Pacific to the Red Sea in the western Indian Ocean, and from southern Japan to northern Australia. P. multidens is the most common species caught in the deepwater trap and drop-line snapper fisheries in both western Australia and the northern territory. Post-settlement goldband snapper have been shown to be largely sedentary by an otolith composition study (Newman et al., 2000). The ratio between oxygen and carbon isotopes in goldband snapper otoliths sampled from populations along the western and northern Australian coast, and in Indonesia, was significantly different. Discontinuities in reef habitats may be an effective isolating mechanism for this species if larval dispersal is not widespread. The environmental requirements of the fertilised egg or larval stage are poorly known.

Prior to 1990, the fish communities on the northern and western Australian coast were exploited by at least four commercial fishing operations that caused measurable changes in overall species abundance and composition (Sainsbury, 1987). Japanese stern trawlers operated in the region from 1959 to 1963, Taiwanese pair trawlers from 1972 to 1987, Australian and Korean ‘feasibility fishing’ stern trawlers in 1979 and the fledgling Australian trap fishery since 1983. Fisheries authorities are currently formulating management plans for goldband snapper adjacent to the coasts of northern territory and western Australia. The presence or otherwise of genetically cohesive populations that straddle state boundaries is a key issue for sustainable management of the resource. The interpretation of patterns of genetic subdivision in marine species is complicated by multi-stage life histories and by the lack of knowledge about dispersal, vicariant boundaries and exploitation histories, but genetic distinctions among geographically discrete populations is irrefutable evidence for the presence of multiple fisheries stocks.

The distribution of the goldband snapper encompasses the Indo-West Pacific region, an area of extraordinary marine biodiversity (MacManus, 1985). The area is an eclectic mix of geologically recent islands and ancient continental plates that are surrounded by shallow tropical seas that have fluctuated from the present level to 150 m below the current sea level in the last 125,000 years. The Arlindo Current is thought to carry warm, near-equatorial water from the western Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean through the Indonesian Archipelago via the Timor Sea off northwestern Australia (Gordon and Fine, 1996). In the Australian Indo-Pacific, genetically discrete populations of goldband snapper may have been formed as a consequence of barriers to dispersal linked to changing sea levels. Alternatively, prevailing currents may have promoted dispersal from north to south across the region leading to species-wide genetic homogeneity.

The objectives of this study were to infer the extent of genetic subdivision and hence gene flow on a graded scale by testing for the presence of genetic subdivision among goldband snapper populations from Australian and southeast Asian waters. The gradations encompassed spatial gene flow among populations in northern Australian waters and on a larger scale between Australian and southeast Asian fishing areas. Genetic data were collected directly and indirectly using restriction enzymes from the control or D-loop region of the mitochondrial genome.

Section snippets

Sample collection

Adult goldband snapper between 0.35 and 0.8 m were collected from six locales (Exmouth, Pilbara, Broome, Kimberley, Timor and Arafura) in Australian waters that corresponded to major areas of fishing effort (Fig. 1, Table 1). Fish for genetic analysis were sampled at random onboard research or commercial vessels as a result of either drop-line (Exmouth, Pilbara, Broome, Kimberley, Timor and Arafura) or trap fishing methods (Kimberley). Fish from three foreign locales were taken from landed catch

Results

We collected 360 bp of sequence data from the 5′ end, or left domain of the goldband snapper control region from 111 fish. Adenine was the most frequent nucleotide (36%), followed by thymine (26%) and cytosine (24%). Guanine was the less frequent (14%). Across all sequences 58 polymorphic sites were observed; all were transitions, except for four sites (numbers 185, 217, 228 and 265; Table 2) that were transversions. There were two insertion/deletion events at positions 105 and 143. The

Discussion

Samples taken from Indonesian and Australian populations of goldband snapper were genetically distinct on either side of the Timor Sea on the northwest coast of Australia. The Arlindo Current passes from north to south and Banda Seas in Indonesia towards the northwestern coast of Australia where it contributes to the Leeuwin Current. It also contributes to the South Equatorial Current that flows from east to west (Gordon and Fine, 1996). The lack of genetic similarity between the Australian

Acknowledgements

We thank snapper fishermen Mal Reid (Timor Sea), Bill Passey (Arafura Sea) and Allan Finlay (northwest Kimberley) for collection of samples. We also thank Mr. Josef Ndura and his staff from Dinas Perikanan Propensi NTT, Indonesia, who helped to collect and process the Kupang samples. Our thanks to the northern territory and western Australian fisheries staff whom assisted with the collection and processing of genetic samples, especially Charles Bryce who was responsible for organising the

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