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Genome-wide SNPs data provides new insights into the population structure of the Atlantic-Mediterranean gold coral Savalia savaglia (Zoantharia: Parazoanthidae)

Genome-wide SNPs data provides new insights into the population structure of the Atlantic-Mediterranean gold coral Savalia savaglia (Zoantharia: Parazoanthidae)

Authors :
Angelo Poliseno
Marko Terzin
Federica Costantini
Egidio Trainito
Vesna Mačić
Joana Boavida
Thierry Perez
Marco Abbiati
Carlo Cerrano
James Davis Reimer
Institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale (IMBE)
Avignon Université (AU)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut de recherche pour le développement [IRD] : UMR237-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Poliseno Angelo
Terzin Marko
Costantini Federica
Trainito Egidio
Mačić Vesna
Boavida Joana
Perez Thierry
Abbiati Marco
Cerrano Carlo
Reimer James Davis
Source :
Ecological Genetics and Genomics, Ecological Genetics and Genomics, 2022, 25 (12), pp.100135. ⟨10.1016/j.egg.2022.100135⟩
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2022.

Abstract

Savalia savaglia is an Atlantic-Mediterranean zoantharian species with a patchy geographic and bathymetric distribution. Due to its longevity, S. savaglia may form large-sized colonies which play a crucial role in the ecosystem as habitat formers. Despite its ecological importance, little is known about the population structure and intraspecific genetic diversity of this species. Using ddRAD-Seq genotyping, we obtained genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 50 S. savaglia individuals collected at different depths (8–60 m) and localities across the Mediterranean Sea (Marseille, Sardinia, Puglia and Montenegro) and eastern Atlantic (Portugal). Our molecular observations were discussed with the reproductive behaviour of the species to understand the observed patterns of connectivity and gene flow. These results highlight the presence of three main genetic clusters (Marseille; Sardinia; and Montenegro + Portugal + Puglia), with some of the Mediterranean individuals being genetically closer to the Atlantic population rather than to other Mediterranean populations. The strong linkage disequilibrium recorded across loci and the detection of clonal individuals in the shallow populations suggest that asexual reproduction seems to be the dominant reproductive strategy among the S. savaglia populations sampled at lower depths. Our work highlights the potential of genome-wide SNP data to study the reproductive behaviour in species such as S. savaglia that are difficult to investigate in the field. The genetic connectivity data obtained in this study can be used in the future to better guide the development of effective management and conservation plans.

Details

ISSN :
24059854
Volume :
25
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Ecological Genetics and Genomics
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....0d176ac33a394a05b8a69ac35b116a20
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egg.2022.100135