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Genetic investigation of population structure in Atlantic chub mackerel, Scomber colias Gmelin, 1789 along the West African coast

Year of publication 2024

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 26 p.

Author Sbiba, S. E.; Quintela, M.; Øyro, J.; Dahle, G.; Jurado-Ruzafa, A.; Iita, K.; Nikolioudakis, N.; Bazairi, H.; Chlaida, M.;

Publisher PeerJ ;

Product type Article

Synopsis (short abstract) Sustainable management of transboundary fish stocks hinges on accurate delineation of population structure. Genetic analysis offers a powerful tool to identify potential subpopulations within a seemingly homogenous stock, facilitating the development of effective, coordinated management strategies across international borders. Along the West African coast, the Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) is a commercially important and ecologically significant species, yet little is known about its genetic population structure and connectivity. Currently, the stock is managed as a single unit in West African waters despite new research suggesting morphological and adaptive differences. Here, eight microsatellite loci were genotyped on 1,169 individuals distributed across 33 sampling sites from Morocco (27.39 N) to Namibia (22.21 S). Bayesian clustering analysis depicts one homogeneous population across the studied area with null overall differentiation (FST = 0.0001ns), which suggests panmixia and aligns with the migratory potential of this species. This finding has significant implications for the effective conservation and management of S. colias within a wide scope of its distribution across West African waters from the South of Morocco to the North-Centre of Namibia and underscores the need for increased regional cooperation in fisheries management and conservation.

This is an open access peer reviewed article published externally in PeerJ.
Published: 5 September 2024

Cite this content as:

Sbiba Se, Quintela M, Øyro J, Dahle G, Jurado-Ruzafa A, Iita K, Nikolioudakis N, Bazairi H, Chlaida M. 2024. 
Genetic investigation of population structure in Atlantic chub mackerel, Scomber colias Gmelin, 1789 along the West African coast. 
PeerJ 12:e17928 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17928


Language English

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