Oceanographic Currents and Local Ecological Knowledge Indicate, and Genetics Does Not Refute, a Contemporary Pattern of Larval Dispersal for The Ornate Spiny Lobster, Panulirus ornatus in the South-East Asian Archipelago

Hoc Tan Dao; Carolyn Smith-Keune; Eric Wolanski; Clive M Jones; Dean R Jerry

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0124568

Oceanographic Currents and Local Ecological Knowledge Indicate, and Genetics Does Not Refute, a Contemporary Pattern of Larval Dispersal for The Ornate Spiny Lobster, Panulirus ornatus in the South-East Asian Archipelago

PLoS One. 2015 May 7;10(5):e0124568. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124568. eCollection 2015.

Authors

Hoc Tan Dao¹, Carolyn Smith-Keune², Eric Wolanski³, Clive M Jones², Dean R Jerry⁴

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia; College of Marine and Environmental Science, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia; Institute of Oceanography, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 01-Cau Da, Nha Trang, Vietnam.
² Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia; College of Marine and Environmental Science, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia.
³ College of Marine and Environmental Science, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia; TropWATER, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia.
⁴ Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia; College of Marine and Environmental Science, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia; TropWATER, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia.

Abstract

Here we utilize a combination of genetic data, oceanographic data, and local ecological knowledge to assess connectivity patterns of the ornate spiny lobster Panulirus ornatus (Fabricius, 1798) in the South-East Asian archipelago from Vietnam to Australia. Partial mitochondrial DNA control region and 10 polymorphic microsatellites did not detect genetic structure of 216 wild P. ornatus samples from Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Analyses show no evidence for genetic differentiation among populations (mtDNA control region sequences ΦST = -0.008; microsatellite loci FST = 0.003). A lack of evidence for regional or localized mtDNA haplotype clusters, or geographic clusters of microsatellite genotypes, reveals a pattern of high gene flow in P. ornatus throughout the South-East Asian Archipelago. This lack of genetic structure may be due to the oceanography-driven connectivity of the pelagic lobster larvae between spawning grounds in Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and, possibly, Indonesia. The connectivity cycle necessitates three generations. The lack of genetic structure of P. ornatus population in the South-East Asian archipelago has important implications for the sustainable management of this lobster in that the species within the region needs to be managed as one genetic stock.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Animals
Asia, Southeastern
DNA, Mitochondrial / analysis*
Gene Flow
Genetic Variation
Genetics, Population
Larva / classification
Larva / genetics
Larva / physiology
Microsatellite Repeats
Palinuridae / classification*
Palinuridae / genetics*
Phylogeny

Substances

DNA, Mitochondrial

Grants and funding

This work was funded by Australia Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) through project SMAR/2008/021). CMJ is the author who received the funding (the project leader). The funder has contributed in sampling and preparation of the manuscript.