Stock identification of the sciaenid fishMicropogonias undulatusin the western North Atlantic Ocean using parasites as biological tags

Abstract

Proper fisheries management of the Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus is necessary in the United States due to the commercial and recreational importance of this fish species. Croaker stock structure in the western North Atlantic has been investigated in the past by various authors, with inconclusive results. In this study, macroparasites were used as biological tags to identify putative croaker stocks in the area between New Jersey and Florida, which encompasses the Mid Atlantic Bight and the South Atlantic Bight separated at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The macroparasite community of the fish was identified, showing the presence of 30 species in four phyla, of which several were new host records, and one species, a monogenean, was new to science. A canonical correspondence analysis was applied to determine the variables responsible for parasite species composition, to resolve the question of croaker stock structure in the western North Atlantic Ocean. This analysis showed that latitude was the deciding variable delineating the parasite community composition of the Atlantic croaker. Among the 30 parasites, 15 were identified as putative tags according to qualitative criteria, and then 10 out of those 15 were selected as being appropriate tags using quantitative criteria. These parasite tags support the presence of two stocks roughly separated at the known biogeographical barrier at Cape Hatteras.

Genetic Management of Black Sea Bass: Influence of Biogeographic Barriers on Population Structure

“…For example, genetic studies on marine species within the Atlantic, such as weakfish Cynoscion regalis (Graves et al 1992) and summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus (Jones and Quattro 1999), have failed to demonstrate a genetic break across Cape Hatteras. In contrast, studies investigating population structure in the north-ern quahog Merceneria merceneria (Baker et al 2008; ct = 0.076, P = 0.013), Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus (Baker et al 2007;using parasites), and Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella frontalis (Adams and Rosel 2006; st = 0.198, P < 0.001) have implicated Cape Hatteras as the cause of genetic differentiation. It is important to note that of these studies examining population subdivision, none reported a degree of genetic differentiation exceeding that observed herein ( ct = 0.409).…”

Redescription and First Nucleotide Sequences of Opecoeloides pedicathedrae (Digenea: Opecoelidae), a Parasite of Cynoscion leiarchus (Cuvier, 1830) (Eupercaria: Sciaenidae) from Brazil

“…The inclusion of the new sequences of O. pedicathedrae showed a phylogenetic convergence between O. pedicathedrae and O. fimbriatus compared to O. furcatus. Opecoeloides pedicathedrae was reported only off the coast of Brazil [3,7,8], while Opecoeloides fimbriatus was reported from the Western North Atlantic [22,39,40], both sides of the Panama Isthmus [41], and the Pacific coast of Mexico [23,42]. Opecoeloides furcatus was reported from Mediterranean waters [21,43,44], off the Canary Islands [45], off the coast of Belgium [46], and from Japan [47].…”

Looking for skin and gill parasites as biological tags for Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)

“…Didymozoids could be helpful in discrimination of ABFT populations and have been used in previous studies (Lester 1990;Jones 1991;Speare 1995;Baker et al 2007), although the specific identity of the parasites must be studied in detail using morphology, genetics and microhabitat-selection. Analyzing data from several parasites and locations simultaneously should be applied to ABFT to resolve the stock structure of this species and determine which parasites are appropriate tags.…”