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. 2018 Sep 17;8(1):13890.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-32331-3.

The population genomics of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) at global geographic scale challenges current stock delineation

Carlo Pecoraro  1   2   3 , Massimiliano Babbucci  4 , Rafaella Franch  4 , Ciro Rico  5   6 , Chiara Papetti  7 , Emmanuel Chassot  8 , Nathalie Bodin  8 , Alessia Cariani  9 , Luca Bargelloni  4 , Fausto Tinti  9
Affiliations

The population genomics of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) at global geographic scale challenges current stock delineation

Carlo Pecoraro et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares, is one of the most important seafood commodities in the world. Despite its great biological and economic importance, conflicting evidence arises from classical genetic and tagging studies concerning the yellowfin tuna population structure at local and global oceanic scales. Access to more powerful and cost effective genetic tools would represent the first step towards resolving the population structure of yellowfin tuna across its distribution range. Using a panel of 939 neutral Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs), and the most comprehensive data set of yellowfin samples available so far, we found genetic differentiation among the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. The genetic stock structure analysis carried out with 33 outlier SNPs, putatively under selection, identified discrete populations within the Pacific Ocean and, for the first time, also within the Atlantic Ocean. Stock assessment approaches that consider genetic differences at neutral and adaptive genomic loci should be routinely implemented to check the status of the yellowfin tuna, prevent illegal trade, and develop more sustainable management measures.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Map of the sampling locations of Thunnus albacares. Samples are given as in Table 1. This figure was produced using QGIS.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Scatterplots of the DAPC identifying genetic clusters of Thunnus albacares using the neutral (NL, a) and outlier (OL, b) SNP datasets. The individuals are represented as dots and the groups as inertia ellipses. PCA eigenvalues retained in dimension-reduction step of the analysis are displayed in inset, in black. AO: Atlantic Ocean, EAO: Eastern Atlantic Ocean, WAO: Western Atlantic Ocean, PO: Pacific Ocean, EPO: Eastern Pacific Ocean, WCPO: Western-Central Pacific Ocean and WIO: Western Indian Ocean.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Barplots of the genetic clusters of Thunnus albacares identified by FastSTRUCTURE using the neutral (NL, a) and outlier (OL, b) SNP datasets. Each specimen is represented by a vertical coloured line, which is partitioned into K coloured segments. The length of each coloured line is proportional to the estimated membership coefficient (q) from: (a) cluster 1 (green, AO), cluster 2 (red, WIO) and cluster 3 (blue, PO); (b) 1 (light green, EAO), cluster 2 (dark green, WAO), cluster 3 (red, WIO), cluster 4 (dark blue, WCPO) and cluster 5 (light blue, EPO). Black lines separate different samples based on origin (labelled below the figure). Acronyms are given as in Fig. 2.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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