%0 Journal Article
%T Phylogeography of the Pacific Blueline Surgeonfish, Acanthurus nigroris, Reveals High Genetic Connectivity and a Cryptic Endemic Species in the Hawaiian Archipelago
%A Joseph D. DiBattista
%A Christie Wilcox
%A Matthew T. Craig
%A Luiz A. Rocha
%A Brian W. Bowen
%J Journal of Marine Biology
%D 2011
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2011/839134
%X Understanding genetic connectivity is fundamental to the design of marine protected areas in the service of ecosystem-scale management. Here we evaluate such trends for a Pacific surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigroris; ) at two spatial scales: (1) within the Hawaiian archipelago, and (2) across the entire species range from the central to southwest Pacific. The mtDNA cytochrome b data reveal genetic divergence ( ) between Hawaii and the rest of the Pacific range indicating a cryptic species pair, with one taxon endemic to Hawaii. Johnston Atoll, 1400£¿km SW of Hawaii, also has the Hawaiian species but is distinct from most Hawaiian locations in population genetic comparisons, indicating the limits of gene flow for this widespread reef species. No consistent population genetic differences were observed among Hawaiian sites or among the other Pacific island sites. We also detected a modest bias in gene flow from the southeast towards the northwest islands of the Hawaiian Archipelago, indicating that the Papah¨¡naumoku¨¡kea Marine National Monument may be a recipient, rather than a source of propagules to replenish reef resources. 1. Introduction Reef fishes have been subject to a number of genetic studies in the interest of understanding the dynamics of population connectivity and phylogeography [1¨C3]. Early molecular studies indicated that many fishes are genetically homogeneous across wide geographic scales owing to their potential for dispersal over substantial distances during the pelagic larval stages [4¨C7]. This traditional view has begun to shift, however, with increased genetic surveys and the advent of novel techniques (e.g., [8, 9]). Recent research has shown population genetic structure in marine fishes on the scale of tens to a few hundred kilometers (see [10¨C13]), challenging the prediction of vast panmictic populations based on potential dispersal during planktonic development [14¨C16]. Although it is clear that larval dispersal ability remains a predictor of population structure in some cases (e.g., [17]), mounting empirical evidence suggests that other factors such as biogeographic barriers [18], contemporary oceanographic patterns [19], larval behavior [12, 20], local adaptation [21], and the ecological requirements of each species [16, 22] may all play greater roles in shaping population connectivity (for review, see [23]). Contemporary population genetic structure can also be reflective of historical episodes of isolation rather than recent patterns of connectivity. Factors such as population fragmentation, extinction and recolonization, and
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jmb/2011/839134/