Cryptic species and genetic connectivity among populations of the coral Pocillopora damicornis (Scleractinia) in the tropical southwestern Pacific

Type Article
Date 2020-09
Language English
Author(s) Oury Nicolas1, Gélin Pauline1, Magalon Hélène1
Affiliation(s) 1 : UMR ENTROPIE (Université de La Réunion, IRD, IFREMER, Université de Nouvelle-Calédonie, CNRS), Université de La Réunion, St Denis, La Réunion, France
Source Marine Biology (0025-3162) (Springer Science and Business Media LLC), 2020-09 , Vol. 167 , N. 10 , P. 32p.
DOI 10.1007/s00227-020-03757-z
WOS© Times Cited 10
Abstract

Studying population genetic connectivity (i.e., identifying gene flow among populations and understanding their impacts on the genetic structure and diversity of populations) is first a matter of knowing what we work on, that is, accurately delimiting evolutionary units. Here, we focused on Pocillopora damicornis sensu stricto (or Pocillopora PSH04 sensu Gélin et al. in Mol Phylogenet Evol 109:430–446. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2017.01.018PANIST, 2017). From 458 colonies sampled within the tropical southwestern Pacific [Chesterfield Islands and New Caledonia (Grande Terre and Loyalty Islands)], Bayesian assignments and network analyses were conducted with 11-microsatellite loci to first evaluate the genetic partitioning of the colonies in distinct Secondary Species Hypotheses (SSHs), then in distinct clusters. Population genetic connectivity was then assessed for each cluster separately. Pocillopora PSH04 was partitioned into two highly differentiated SSHs (SSH04a and SSH04b), regularly found in sympatry. Furthermore, SSH04a was subdivided into two clusters (SSH04a-1 and SSH04a-2). This pattern of genetic structuring seems not related to clonality, but rather to the establishment of reproductive barriers. Nevertheless, considering each cluster separately, the populations appeared highly differentiated, suggesting relatively weak gene flow. This low connectivity among populations, coupled with the existence of cryptic species, brings new insights to the connectivity pattern of this understudied Pacific region.

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