Genetic difference between Ezo-awabi Haliotis discus hannai and Kuro-awabi H. discus discus populations: Microsatellite-based population analysis in Japanese abalone

摘要

This study documents the genetic population relationships between Ezo-awabi Haliotis discus hannai and Kuro-awabi H. discus discus by means of the microsatellite technique with an emphasis on the extent of genetic difference between Ezo-and Kuro-awabi populations. Eight markers were employed to screen five populations each collected from Ezo-and Kuro-awabi habitats. All eight loci showed polymorphisms in all populations (number of alleles per locus, 11.1–14.1; averaged expected heterozygosity, 0.64–0.70). The number of loci that yielded significant genetic heterogeneities (allele frequency distribution and/or pairwise θ) between Ezo- and Kuro-awabi populations was larger than that generated in comparisons between populations within Ezo- and Kuro-awabi habitats. According to the bootstrap neighbor-joining trees constructed on the basis of two genetic distance measures (DA and DST), the 10 populations fell into two clusters of populations (Ezo-awabi and Kuro-awabi habitat groups), and the results of hierarchical AMOVA testing also supported the neighborjoining clustering. The outcomes presented here suggest that the microsatellite markers used in this study are potentially an efficient means to differentiate Ezo- and Kuro-awabi populations.