Estuaries, lagoons and enclosed embayments: habitats that enhance population subdivision of inshore fishes
Robyn J. Watts A C and Michael S. Johnson B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Johnstone Centre, School of Science and Technology, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2670, Australia.
B School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: rwatts@csu.edu.au
Marine and Freshwater Research 55(7) 641-651 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF04051
Submitted: 17 March 2004 Accepted: 9 August 2004 Published: 1 October 2004
Abstract
Several studies have suggested that estuaries, lagoons and enclosed embayments may offer special opportunities for local subdivision in marine species. We used data from published papers and unpublished theses to examine the effect of such water bodies on allozyme differentiation of seven species of inshore fishes in Western Australia. We included species that differ in their dispersal, and hence their intrinsic potential for gene flow. Over large distances, subdivision was generally greater among estuarine populations than among conspecific marine populations collected over similar distances. Over small distances, paired marine and estuarine samples were generally more divergent than pairs of marine samples separated by similar distances. For species with a low capability for dispersal, estuaries appear to add to the high levels of genetic subdivision that commonly result from other factors. Under special circumstances estuaries may also provide opportunities for genetic divergence in species with a high capability of dispersal that are rarely subdivided at a large geographical scale. These observations indicate that estuaries can increase the genetic subdivision of populations of inshore fishes, and that species that use both marine and estuarine habitats are likely to have greater genetic subdivision than those that are restricted to marine habitats.
Extra keywords: barriers, GST, isolated populations, population genetics, unique alleles.
Acknowledgments
Most of the data were collected with support from Australian Research Council Grants to M. S. Johnson and R. Black and a University of Western Australia Research Studentship to R. J. Watts. Analyses were facilitated by a Special Studies Leave Grant to R. Watts from Charles Sturt University.
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