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- Characterization of 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the temperate reef fish Lepadogaster lepadogaster, developed using 454-sequencingPublication . Teixeira, Sara; Candeias, Rui; Klein, Maria; Serrão, Ester; Borges, R.Abstract The clingfish, Lepadogaster lepadogaster is a reef fish species, abundant in temperate nearshore rocky reefs of the Eastern Atlantic and central and Eastern Mediterranean. To study genetic variability and population connectivity of this species, we developed fifteen polymorphic microsatellite markers. These were tested in one population and all but one, showed no departure from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Average overall observed heterozygosity was 0.66 and allelic richness was 8.9. Two primer pairs revealed possible linkage disequilibrium. These markers open perspectives for population genetic studies of this species to unravel connectivity and population biology, vital information for future conservation studies.
- High interannual variability in connectivity and genetic pool of a temperate clingfish matches oceanographic transport predictionsPublication . Klein, Maria; Teixeira, Sara; Assis, J.; Serrão, Ester; Gonçalves, Emanuel J.; Borges, R.Adults of most marine benthic and demersal fish are site-attached, with the dispersal of their larval stages ensuring connectivity among populations. In this study we aimed to infer spatial and temporal variation in population connectivity and dispersal of a marine fish species, using genetic tools and comparing these with oceanographic transport. We focused on an intertidal rocky reef fish species, the shore clingfish Lepadogaster lepadogaster, along the southwest Iberian Peninsula, in 2011 and 2012. We predicted high levels of self-recruitment and distinct populations, due to short pelagic larval duration and because all its developmental stages have previously been found near adult habitats. Genetic analyses based on microsatellites countered our prediction and a biophysical dispersal model showed that oceanographic transport was a good explanation for the patterns observed. Adult sub-populations separated by up to 300 km of coastline displayed no genetic differentiation, revealing a single connected population with larvae potentially dispersing long distances over hundreds of km. Despite this, parentage analysis performed on recruits from one focal site within the Marine Park of Arrabida (Portugal), revealed self-recruitment levels of 2.5% and 7.7% in 2011 and 2012, respectively, suggesting that both long-and short-distance dispersal play an important role in the replenishment of these populations. Population differentiation and patterns of dispersal, which were highly variable between years, could be linked to the variability inherent in local oceanographic processes. Overall, our measures of connectivity based on genetic and oceanographic data highlight the relevance of long-distance dispersal in determining the degree of connectivity, even in species with short pelagic larval durations.