The role of the isolation of the marginal seas during the Pleistocene in the genetic structure of black sea bream Acanthopagrus schlegelii (Bleeker, 1854) in the coastal waters of Japan

Abstract

The black sea bream Acanthopagrus schlegelii (Bleeker, 1854) is a commercially important species in Japanese waters. Assessing its population structure is essential to ensure its sustainability. In the Northwestern Pacific, historical glacial and interglacial periods during the Pleistocene have shaped the population structure of many coastal marine fishes. However, whether these events affected the population of black sea bream remains unknown. To test this hypothesis and to assess the population structure of black sea bream, we used 1,046 sequences of the mitochondrial control region from individuals collected throughout almost the entire Japanese coastal waters and combined them with 118 sequences from populations distributed in other marginal seas of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. As in other coastal marine fish with similar distribution, we also found evidence that the glacial refugia on the marginal seas prompted the formation of three lineages in black sea bream. These lineages present signatures of population growth that coincided with the interglacial periods of the Pleistocene. While the origin of Lineages B and C remains unclear, the higher relative frequency of Lineage A in the southernmost location suggests its origin in the South China Sea. The non-significant pairwise ΦST and AMOVA of Japanese populations and the presence of these three lineages mixed in Japanese waters; strongly suggest that these lineages are homogenized in both the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean. Our results indicate that the black sea bream should be managed as a single stock in Japan until the strength of connectivity in contemporary populations is further addressed using non-coding nuclear markers.

The role of ancestral seascape discontinuity and geographical distance in structuring rockfish populations in the Pacific Northwest

“…Regarding the t value and the BSP, we estimated the same result as that of Liu et al (2019), that the population of S. marmoratus expanded during the Pleistocene. Many studies found that the expansion of marine fish populations mostly occurred during this period (Liu et al, 2006;Song et al, 2014;Yamashita et al, 2021;Zhao et al, 2022). During the Pleistocene, six glacial periods and five interglacial periods were repeatedly experienced.…”

Spawning time of black sea bream Acanthopagrus schlegelii, related to underwater photoperiodism in oyster farms

“…Black sea bream Acanthopagrus schlegelii (Bleeker, 1854), a coastal sparid found in Asia, is a commercially valuable resource for recreation and fisheries. As the species is targeted for fisheries stock enhancement in Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea, many studies have been conducted on the genetic population structure (Jeong et al ., 2003: Shi et al ., 2015; Yamashita et al ., 2021; Zhao et al ., 2021) and the effects of stock enhancement on this natural resource (An et al ., 2010; Blanco Gonzalez et al ., 2009; Blanco Gonzalez, Nagasawa, & Umino, 2008a; Blanco Gonzalez & Umino, 2009; Blanco Gonzalez, Umino, & Nagasawa, 2008b; Shan et al ., 2020, 2021; Umino et al ., 2010). Concomitantly with the study of stock enhancement, fundamental aspects of the reproductive ecology of this species were described under experimental tank conditions, including a polyandric mating system (Jeong et al ., 2007; Koga et al ., 1971; Wang et al ., 2020) and the nocturnal peak of spawning (around 21.00 hours) (Blanco Gonzalez et al ., 2010; Koga et al ., 1971).…”

Genetic population structure and demographic history of the endemic fish Paralichthys olivaceus of the Northwest Pacific Ocean

“…Marginal water ecosystems in the Northwest Pacific are exposed to intense anthropogenic stresses, such as pollution and overfishing (Halpern et al, 2008 ; Ni et al, 2014 ; Yamashita et al, 2021 ; Zhang et al, 2020 ), and are affected by the complex ocean current patterns in the region. During the Last Glacial Maximum, the sea level in the Northwest Pacific decreased by 120–140 m. Marginal seas in the region were separated by land, forming many independent small sea areas with fragmented habitats (Lambeck et al, 2002 ; Voris, 2000 ; Zhao et al, 2022 ).…”