New Nuclear SNP Markers Unravel the Genetic Structure and Effective Population Size of Albacore Tuna (Thunnus alalunga)

Urtzi Laconcha; Mikel Iriondo; Haritz Arrizabalaga; Carmen Manzano; Pablo Markaide; Iratxe Montes; Iratxe Zarraonaindia; Igor Velado; Eider Bilbao; Nicolas Goñi; Josu Santiago; Andrés Domingo; Saadet Karakulak; Işık Oray; Andone Estonba

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0128247

New Nuclear SNP Markers Unravel the Genetic Structure and Effective Population Size of Albacore Tuna (Thunnus alalunga)

PLoS One. 2015 Jun 19;10(6):e0128247. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128247. eCollection 2015.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea z/g, Pasaia (Gipuzkoa), Spain; Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Sarriena auzoa z/g, Leioa (Bizkaia), Spain.
² Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Sarriena auzoa z/g, Leioa (Bizkaia), Spain.
³ AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea z/g, Pasaia (Gipuzkoa), Spain.
⁴ Cell Biology & Environmental Toxicology Research Group, Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology & Biotechnology (PIE) & Department of Zoology & Animal Cell Biology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Sarriena auzoa z/g, Leioa (Bizkaia), Spain.
⁵ AZTI, Marine Research Division, Txatxarramendi Ugartea z/g, Sukarrieta (Bizkaia), Spain.
⁶ Laboratory of Pelagic Resources, Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos (DINARA), Constituyente 1497, Montevideo, Uruguay.
⁷ Fisheries Faculty of Istanbul University, Laleli, Istanbul, Turkey.

Abstract

In the present study we have investigated the population genetic structure of albacore (Thunnus alalunga, Bonnaterre 1788) and assessed the loss of genetic diversity, likely due to overfishing, of albacore population in the North Atlantic Ocean. For this purpose, 1,331 individuals from 26 worldwide locations were analyzed by genotyping 75 novel nuclear SNPs. Our results indicated the existence of four genetically homogeneous populations delimited within the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Current definition of stocks allows the sustainable management of albacore since no stock includes more than one genetic entity. In addition, short- and long-term effective population sizes were estimated for the North Atlantic Ocean albacore population, and results showed no historical decline for this population. Therefore, the genetic diversity and, consequently, the adaptive potential of this population have not been significantly affected by overfishing.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Cluster Analysis
Evolution, Molecular
Genetic Structures*
Genetic Variation
Genetics, Population*
Genotype
Geography
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
Tuna / genetics*

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the projects ATM2010 Hegaluze (351BI20090047) and TUNASNIP (SPE10UN92) funded by the Basque Government. Urtzi Laconcha’s work was supported by a PhD grant by the Fundación Centros Tecnológicos Iñaki Goenaga. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.