Genetic analyses reveal temporal stability and connectivity pattern in blue and red shrimp Aristeus antennatus populations

Abstract

Temporal variability of the genetic structure and connectivity patterns of the blue and red shrimp Aristeus antennatus in the seven most important fishing grounds of the Western Mediterranean Sea, were assessed using twelve microsatellite loci during 2 consecutive years (2016 and 2017), in a total of 1403 adult individuals. A high level of geographical connectivity among groups was observed in the two studied years. In fact, no significant geographical differentiation was found in 2016 (FST = 0.0018, p > 0.05), whereas it was indicated in 2017 (FST = 0.0025, p < 0.05). This small divergence in 2017 was not attributed to the distance among locations nor to the effect of the Ibiza Channel. Significant allele frequency changes were found at local level between the 2 years (FCT = 0.0006, p < 0.05), mainly due to Blanes’ fishing ground. Larval dispersal from the North to the South through the main superficial current supports the high level of connectivity pattern found. The temporal genetic instability detected in the Blanes’ fishing ground could be explained by oceanographic temporary features. Our findings evidence only one biological unit in the study region and establish the baseline for an inter-federal management plan of A. antennatus.

Genetic Demography of the Blue and Red Shrimp, Aristeus antennatus: A Female-Based Case Study Integrating Multilocus Genotyping and Morphometric Data

“…More than 40% of males in summer groups originated from outside the Palamós ground [20], whereas the percentage of contribution from neighboring grounds to summer small females rose to 35% (present study) (Figure 6). Our results corroborate the connectivity between nearby fishing grounds of A. antennatus in the north-western Mediterranean Sea, which likely occurs through the dispersal of different stages of the life-cycle of A. antennatus, i.e., larvae, juveniles, and adults of both sexes [16,17,20,40].…”

“…Since Blanes and Roses females from winter 2016 were used in the assignment tests to analyze the geographical origin of juvenile and small females had small size (mean CL of 24.23 and 27.61 mm for Blanes and Roses, respectively) [ 16 ], only juvenile and small females in the present study could be assigned. Winter juvenile females had a higher contribution than the small ones to summer small females indicating that this latter group was mainly composed of juvenile females that have grown and females that have moved from other grounds ( Figure 6 ).…”

“…Larval dispersal by marine currents during the A. antennatus pelagic stage has been pointed out as the main responsible for the high level of genetic connectivity found across the Mediterranean Sea [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. However, Guijarro et al [ 18 ] reported a possible migration of juveniles and adults, and Agulló et al [ 16 , 17 ] suggested adult migration as a contributor to the high genetic homogeneity found in the western Mediterranean populations.…”

“…Larval dispersal by marine currents during the A. antennatus pelagic stage has been pointed out as the main responsible for the high level of genetic connectivity found across the Mediterranean Sea [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. However, Guijarro et al [ 18 ] reported a possible migration of juveniles and adults, and Agulló et al [ 16 , 17 ] suggested adult migration as a contributor to the high genetic homogeneity found in the western Mediterranean populations. Genetic relatedness analyses showed that spermatophores attached to females collected at 400–700 m depth during the reproductive period came only partially from males captured simultaneously with the females, whereas a large proportion of spermatophores belonged to unsampled and less related males, likely from other spawning grounds [ 19 ].…”

Male Deep-Sea Shrimps Aristeus antennatus at Fishing Grounds: Growth and First Evaluation of Recruitment by Multilocus Genotyping

“…The blue and red shrimp is a deep-sea benthic crustacean that has a widespread dispersal potential [44], contributing to high gene flow and low levels of spatial genetic heterogeneity across the fishing grounds of the Mediterranean Sea [6,34,35,[45][46][47][48][49]. The horizontal displacement of A. antennatus might occur by passive and active dispersal mechanisms.…”