No abstract

This study reports on the horizontal movements of swordfish (Xiphias gladius L.) tagged during deep‐set fishery trials off the California coastline. Position estimates from several electronic tag types were used to better understand swordfish stock structure and regional affiliation with current boundary hypotheses used to manage swordfish in the eastern north Pacific. Swordfish were outfitted with (a) satellite‐linked mark–recapture tags (n = 66), (b) electronic data storage tags that were recaptured (n = 16), (c) fin‐mounted Argos transmitters (n = 6), and (d) satellite‐linked archival tags (n = 4). Twenty‐six percent of tagged swordfish reported close to (<225 km) their deployment location within the southern California Bight (SCB). Of the 50 swordfish that moved outside the SCB, 76% exhibited affiliation to the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) management unit, 20% moved into the Western and Central North Pacific (WCNP) and 4% spent time within both the EPO and WCNP boundaries. Mean displacement between deployment and reporting locations was 1,250 ± 1,375 km, with daily rates of movement up to 55 km/day. Seasonal migrations ranged from the equator (0.8°N.132.4°W) to the Hawaiian Islands (17.0°N/154.2°W), with multiple individuals returning to the initial tagging locations the subsequent season. Seasonal site fidelity exhibited by several individuals highlights the importance of the SCB foraging grounds. While no evidence of trans‐equatorial or trans‐Pacific crossing was documented, extensive movements validate the highly migratory nature of California swordfish and support the need for future inclusion of spatial distribution data in management. Findings suggest that SCB swordfish may exhibit a higher level of EPO connectivity than previously proposed.

Euthynnus (family Scombridae) is a genus of marine pelagic fish species with a worldwide distribution that comprises three allopatric species: E. alletteratus, E. affinis and E. lineatus. All of them targeted by artisanal and commercial fisheries. We analyzed 263 individuals from Atlantic and Pacific Oceans using two genetic markers, the mtDNA Control Region (350 bp) and nuclear calmodulin (341 bp). The results obtained challenge the phylogeny of this group. We found a deep genetic divergence, probably at species level, within E. alletteratus, between the North Atlantic-Mediterranean and the Tropical East Atlantic. This deep genetic divergence was tested with several species delimitation methods. This complete phylogeographic association between the North Atlantic and the Tropical East Atlantic support the hypothesis of two cryptic species. In addition, population genetic heterogeneity was detected between the North East Atlantic–Mediterranean and North West Atlantic regions. Our results indicate two scales of differentiation in what is currently considered a single population. Accordingly, for management purposes, the populations of E. alletteratus, should be divided into a minimum of three management units. On the other hand, the high level of differentiation found in E. alletteratus contrasts with the shallow genetic divergence of E. affinis and E. lineatus.