Population genetic structure of the sword prawn Parapenaeopsis hardwickii (Miers, 1878) (Decapoda: Penaeidae) in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea

Abstract

The genetic structure of the populations of the sword prawn Parapenaeopsis hardwickii (Miers, 1878) in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, an economically and ecologically important species in the Indo-West Pacific region, is described. Based on partial mtDNA COI gene, 27 COI haplotypes are recognized from 130 samples collected from seven locations. Nucleotide and haplotype diversities of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea populations were 0.00187 ± 0.00021 and 0.818 ± 0.049, and 0.00215 ± 0.00023 and 0.822 ± 0.042, respectively. AMOVA and pairwise F ST reveal no significant genetic differentiation of the populations. Neither the Bayesian inference tree nor haplotype network reveals clades with geographic pattern, indicating high levels of gene flow between prawn populations of each sea. Mismatch distribution and neutrality tests suggest an historical population expansion of P. hardwickii, with Pleistocene glacial cycles likely having impacted this species' historical demography. This study provides background information for sustainable improvement and fisheries management of P. hardwickii in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea.