Restricted connectivity for cobia Rachycentron canadum (Perciformes: Rachycentridae) in the Western Atlantic Ocean

Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) is a coastal pelagic migratory fish species of tropical and subtropical waters, where it is an important game fish and it has been commercially expanded in offshore aquaculture systems. Understanding population connectivity is of utmost importance to the sustainable use and conservation of aquatic resources, and information on genetic diversity and structure is key element in unraveling differentiation when no clear physical barriers exist. In the present study, cobia genetic diversity and structure were depicted using mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b sequencing and microsatellite genotyping in samples from the Southwestern Atlantic and showed that a major single population inhabits the southern hemisphere. Cytochrome b sequencing also suggested that the Indian Ocean is the center of origin for this species' diversification. A hierarchical analysis of AMOVA compared sampling locations from the Northwestern Atlantic (from a previous study) with the Southwestern ones using nine shared microsatellite markers. Differentiation among groups (F-CT = 0.41), Bayesian clustering analysis, and complementary ordination analyses (by discriminant analysis of principal components [DAPC] and factorial correspondence analysis [3D-FCA]) presented a clear separation between the two hemispheres, supported by a Lagrangian model that explained the ocean dynamics over larval retention on the Western Atlantic. Another genetic subgroup intermingled with the main Southwestern group may also exist further south, probably associated with the Vitoria-Trindade Ridge and the local current systems. The distribution of this species in metapopulations is of extreme relevance for fisheries and fish hatcheries management in the Atlantic Ocean.

Automated summary

In this study, the genetic diversity and structure of cobia populations in the Southwestern Atlantic were analyzed using mitochondrial DNA sequencing and microsatellite genotyping. The results showed high genetic diversity and structure in the Southwestern Atlantic population, with the Indian Ocean identified as the center of origin for this species' diversification. The study also revealed clear genetic differentiation between the Southwestern Atlantic and Northwestern Atlantic populations. These findings have significant implications for the management and conservation of cobia populations in the Atlantic Ocean.