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Lopes da Cunha, Regina

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  • Genomics goes deeper in fisheries science: The case of the blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo) in the northeast Atlantic
    Publication . Cunha, Regina L.; Robalo, Joana I.; Francisco, Sara M.; Farias, Inês; Castilho, Rita; Figueiredo, Ivone
    Recent advances in genomics are an essential contributor to the assessment of fish stocks by providing a finescale identification of the species' genetic boundaries. The blackspot seabream, Pagellus bogaraveo, is a commercial sparid distributed across the northeast (NE) Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Within the NE Atlantic, three P. bogaraveo stocks are currently defined: Azores; Atlantic Iberian waters; Celtic Sea and the Bay of Biscay. We used a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach to better define the spatial scale at which the species occurs in the NE Atlantic. Our findings revealed the existence of an additional genetic cluster in the eastern Atlantic (Gulf of C ' adiz) that was not identified in previous studies based on mitochondrial DNA or microsatellite data. The combined effect of ocean circulation patterns, complex bathymetry and the existence of local upwelling may play an important role on the retention of blackspot seabream larvae and adults, providing an explanation for the genetic differentiation between the specimens caught off the Gulf of C ' adiz and Peniche (Portugal). Results presented here revealed hidden intra-specific genetic differentiation and can inform a finer-scale sampling to determine the new stock boundaries in the Atlantic Iberian coasts.
  • Three mitochondrial lineages and no Atlantic-Mediterranean barrier for the bogue Boops boops across its widespread distribution
    Publication . Cunha, Regina L.; Faleh, Abderraouf Ben; Francisco, Sara; Šanda, Radek; Vukić, Jasna; Corona, Luana; Dia, Mamadou; Glavičić, Igor; Kassar, Abderrahmane; Castilho, Rita; Robalo, Joana I.
    Marine species exhibiting wide distributional ranges are frequently subdivided into discrete genetic units over limited spatial scales. This is often due to specific life-history traits or oceanographic barriers that prevent gene flow. Fine-scale sampling studies revealed distinct phylogeographic patterns in the northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, ranging from panmixia to noticeable population genetic structure. Here, we used mitochondrial sequence data to analyse connectivity in the bogue Boops boops throughout most of its widespread distribution. Our results identified the existence of three clades, one comprising specimens from the Azores and eastern Atlantic/Mediterranean, another with individuals from the Canary Islands, Madeira and Cape Verde archipelagos, and the third with samples from Mauritania only. One of the branches of the northern subtropical gyre (Azores Current) that drifts towards the Gulf of Cadiz promotes a closer connection between the Azores, southern Portugal and the Mediterranean B. boops populations. The Almeria-Oran Front, widely recognised as an oceanographic barrier for many organisms to cross the Atlantic-Mediterranean divide, does not seem to affect the dispersal of this benthopelagic species. The southward movement of the Cape Verde Frontal Zone during the winter, combined with the relatively short duration of the pelagic larval stage of B. boops, may be potential factors for preventing the connectivity between the Atlantic oceanic archipelagos and Mauritania shaping the genetic signature of this species.
  • Asymmetrical dispersal and putative isolation-by-distance of an intertidal blenniid across the Atlantic-Mediterranean divide
    Publication . Castilho, Rita; Lopes Da Cunha, Regina; Faria, Claudia; Velasco, Eva M.; Robalo, Joana I.
    Transition zones are of high evolutionary interest because unique patterns of spatial variation are often retained. Here, we investigated the phylogeography of the peacock blenny, Salaria pavo, a small marine intertidal fish that inhabits rocky habitats of the Mediterranean and the adjacent Atlantic Ocean. We screened 170 individuals using mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data from eight locations. Four models of genetic structure were tested: panmixia, isolation-by-distance, secondary contact and phylogeographic break. Results indicated clear asymmetric migration from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic but only marginally supported the isolation-by-distance model. Additionally, the species displays an imprint of demographic expansion compatible with the last glacial maximum. Although the existence of a refugium in the Mediterranean cannot be discarded, the ancestral lineage most likely originated in the Atlantic, where most of the genetic diversity occurs.