Genetic connectivity of lionfish ( Pterois volitans) in marine protected areas of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea

Lionfish (Pterois volitans) have rapidly invaded the tropical Atlantic and spread across the wider Caribbean in a relatively short period of time. Because of its high invasion capacity, we used it as a model to identify the connectivity among nine marine protected areas (MPAs) situated in four countries in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. This study provides evidence of local genetic differentiation of P. volitans in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. A total of 475 lionfish samples were characterized with 12 microsatellites, with 6-20 alleles per locus. Departures from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) were found in 10 of the 12 loci, all caused by heterozygous excess. Moderate genetic differentiation was observed between Chiriviche, Venezuela and Xcalak, México localities (F ST = 0.012), and between the Los Roques and the Veracruz (F ST = 0.074) sites. STRUCTURE analysis found that four genetic entities best fit our data. A unique genetic group in the Gulf of Mexico may imply that the lionfish invasion unfolded both in a counterclockwise manner in the Gulf of Mexico. In spite of the notable dispersion of P. volitans, our results show some genetic structure, as do other noninvasive Caribbean fish species, suggesting that the connectivity in some MPAs analyzed in the Caribbean is limited and caused by only a few source individuals with subsequent genetic drift leading to local genetic differentiation. This indicates that P. volitans dispersion could be caused by mesoscale phenomena, which produce stochastic connectivity pulses. Due to the isolation of some MPAs from others, these findings may hold a promise for local short-term control of by means of intensive fishing, even in MPAs, and may have regional long-term effects.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Irán Andira Guzmán Méndez, Renata Lourdes Bárbara Rivera Madrid, Serge PLANES, Emilie BOISSIN, Aldo Croquer, Esteban Agudo-Adriani, Carlos González, Horacio Pérez-España, Ana Giró Petersen, Jenny Luque, María del Carmen García Rivas, Margarita de Lourdes Aguilar Espinosa, Jimmy Arguelles, Jesus Arias Gonzalez
Format:	info:eu-repo/semantics/article biblioteca
Language:	eng
Subjects:	info:eu-repo/classification/Autores/CARIBBEAN SEA, info:eu-repo/classification/Autores/FOUNDER EVENTO, info:eu-repo/classification/Autores/GENETIC STRUCTURE, info:eu-repo/classification/autores/INVASIVE SPECIES, info:eu-repo/classification/Autores/LIONFISH, info:eu-repo/classification/Autores/MARINE PROTECTED ÁREAS, info:eu-repo/classification/Autores/MICROSATELLITES, info:eu-repo/classification/cti/2, info:eu-repo/classification/cti/24, info:eu-repo/classification/cti/2401, info:eu-repo/classification/cti/240119,
Online Access:	http://cicy.repositorioinstitucional.mx/jspui/handle/1003/1829
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