Genetic population structure of the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) inferred from restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of mitochondrial DNA

• Published in: Canadian journal of fisheries and aquatic sciences 1996, Vol.53 (3), p.583-588
• Main Authors: Heist, E J, Musick, J A, Graves, J E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Isurus oxyrinchus; Marine; Population genetics, reproduction patterns; Vertebrata
• ISSN: 0706-652X; 1205-7533
• DOI: 10.1139/f95-245

Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of mitochondrial DNA was used to investigate genetic population structure within the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus). Tissue samples from 21-30 shortfin makos were collected from each of five locations, two within the North Atlantic, one in the South Atlantic, one in the North Pacific, and one in the South Pacific. Mitochondrial DNA was digested with a panel of nine restriction enzymes to determine mitochondrial DNA haplotypes for each individual. Highly significant heterogeneity of haplotype distribution was detected in the shortfin mako ( chi super(2) probability of equal haplotype frequencies, p < 0.001). The pooled samples of North Atlantic shortfin mako appeared to be isolated from those from other oceans (p < 0.001). The nine restriction enzymes detected a haplotype diversity of 0.755 and a nucleotide sequence diversity of 0.347. There is no evidence of multiple subspecies of shortfin mako, nor of any past genetic isolation between shortfin mako populations.