PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF THE SUB-ANTARCTIC NOTOTHENIOID FISH ELEGINOPS MACLOVINUS: EVIDENCE OF POPULATION EXPANSION

CEBALLOS, SANTIAGO GUILLERMO; VICTORIO, M. F.; LESSA, E. P.; FERNÁNDEZ, DANIEL A.

MARINE BIOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2012 p. 1 - 9

0025-3162

In this work we examined the geographic genetic structure of the Patagonian blennie, Eleginops maclovinus, a notothenioid (Perciformes) endemic to South American temperate and sub-Antarctic waters, using mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b sequences. We found 58 haplotypes in the analysis of 261 individual sequences of 833 base pair. Among population variance was very low (1.62%) and many haplotypes were shared between several populations across the geographic sampled range. Genetic differentiation was not consistent with a simple model of isolation by distance, possibly evidencing a lack of equilibrium between gene flow and local genetic drift. The analysis of mismatch distributions, neutrality test and the Bayesian Skyline Plot showed a pattern consistent with a recent population expansion event that may have taken place during Middle Pleistocene. However, we could not rule out an alternative explanation based on departures from strict neutrality of mtDNA.