Abstract
Genetic variation was reviewed in 106 species of marine teleosts. Two heterozygosity estimates were used, one including all protein and enzyme loci and a second excluding the non-enzymatic protein loci. Mean heterozygosities are 0.055±0.036 based on all loci in 106 species and 0.060+0.038 based on enzymatic loci in 89 species. A significant negative correlation was noted between heterozygosity and the proportion of general protein loci included in the estimate. A comparison was made of heterozygosities among taxonomic orders and families, life zones, reproductive mode, geographical range and size. High levels of genetic variation are found in Clupeiformes, Atheriniformes, Pleuronectiformes, temperate pelagic, tropical, intertidal-sublittoral and wide-range species. Low levels of genetic variation are found in Gadiformes, Scorpaeniformes, temperate demersal, polar, and narrowrange species. The most striking differences in heterozygosities are between temperate demersal flatfishes and temperate demersal round fishes. It is suggested that much of the data can be explained by a habitat specialist-generalist model, with high heterozygosities in specialists and low heterozygosities in generalists, but that this is only one of a mosaic of factors which influence genetic variation.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Alexander, R. McN.: Functional design in fishes, 160 pp. London: Hutchinson University Press 1967
Altukhov, Yu. P., E. A. Salmenkova, V. T. Omel'chenko, G. D. Sachko and V. I. Slyn'ko: Number of monomorphic and polymorphic loci in a population of the tetraploid salmon Oncorhynchus keta Walb. Sov. Genet. 8, 181–188 (1974)
Andriashev, A. P.: A general review of the Antarctic fish fauna. In: Biogeography and ecology in Antarctica, pp 491–550. Ed. by J. Van Miegham and P. Van Oye. The Hague: Dr. W. Junk 1965
Ayala, F. J. and J. W. Valentine: Genetic variation and resource stability in marine invertebrates. In: Marine organisms: genetics, ecology and evolution, pp 23–51. Ed. by B. Battaglia and J. A. Beardmore. New York: Plenum Press 1978
Battaglia, B., P. M. Bisol and G. Fava: Genetic variability in relation to the environment in some marine invertebrates. In: Marine organisms: genetics, ecology and evolution, pp 53–69. Ed. by B. Battaglia and J. A. Beardmore. New York: Plenum Press 1978
Beardmore, J.: Ecological factors and the variability of genepools in Drosophila. In: Essays in evolution and genetics in honour of Theodosius Dobzhansky, pp 299–314. Ed. by M. K. Hecht and W. C. Steere, New York: Appleton-Century Crofts 1970
Bigelow, H. B. and W. C. Schroeder. Fishes of the Gulf of Maine. Fishery Bull. Fish Wildlf. Serv. U.S. 53, 1–577 1953
Breder, C. M. and D. E. Rosen: Modes of reproduction in fishes, 941 pp. New York: Natural History Press 1966
Dobzhansky, T.: Genetics of the evolutionary process, 505 pp. New York: Columbia University Press 1970
Frydenberg, O. and V. Simonsen: Genetics of Zoarces populations. v. amount of protein and polymorphism and degree of genic heterozygosity. Hereditas 75, 221–232 (1973)
Fujio, Y. and Y. Kato: Genetic variation in fish populations. Bull. Jap. Soc. scient. Fish. 45, 1169–1178 (1979)
Gillespie, J. H. and K. Kojima: The degree of polymorphism in enzymes in two Drosophila ananassae populations. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 61: 582–585 (1968)
Gillespie, J. H. and C. H. Langley: The degree of polymorphism in enzyme variation in natural populations. Genetics, Princeton 76, 837–848 (1974)
Gorman, G. C. and Y. J. Kim: Genotypic evolution in the face of phenotypic conservativeness, Abudefduf (Pomacentridae) from the Atlantic and Pacific sides of Panama. Copeia 1977 (4), 694–697 (1977)
Gorman, G. C., Y. J. Kim and R. Rubinoff: Genetic relationship of three species of Bathygobius from the Atlantic and Pacific sides of Panama. Copeia 1976 (2), 361–364 (1976)
Harden-Jones, F. R.: Fish migration, 325 pp. London: Edward Arnold 1968
Hart, J. L.: Pacific fishes of Canada. Bull. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 180, 1–740 (1973)
Hedrick, P. W., M. E. Ginevan and E. P. Ewing: Genetic polymorphism in heterogeneous environments. A. Rev. Ecol. Syst 7, 1–32 (1976)
Hureau, J. C.: Contributions à la connaissance de Trematomus bernacchii Bouleger. In: Biologie antarctique, pp 481–487. Ed. par R. Carrick, M. Holdgate et J. Prévost. Paris: Hermann 1964
Jamieson, A.: Genetic tags for marine fish stocks. In: Sea fisheries science, pp 91–99. Ed. by F. R. Harden-Jones. London: Elk Science 1974
Johnson, A. G. and F. M. Utter: Electrophoretic variation in intertidal and subtidal organisms in Puget Sound, Washington. Anim. Blood Grps. biochem. Genet. 7, 3–14 (1976)
Johnson, A. G., F. M. Utter and H. O. Hodgins: Estimate of genetic polymorphism and heterozygosity in three species of rock fish (genus Sebastes). Comp. Biochem. Physiol 44B, 397–406 (1973)
Johnson, G. B.: Importance of substrate variability to enzyme polymorphisms. Nature new Biol. 243, 151–153 (1973)
Johnson, M. S.: Biochemical systematics of the atherinid genus Menida. Copeia 1975 (4), 662–691 (1975)
Kimura, M. and T. Ohta: Theoretical aspects of population genetics, 219 pp. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press 1971
Kornfield, I. L. and E. Nevo: Likely pre-Suez occurrence of a Red Sea fish Aphanius dispar in the Mediterranean. Nature, Lond. 264, 289–291 (1976)
Levins, R.: Evolution in changing environments, 120 pp. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press 1968
Lewontin, R. C.: The genetic basis of evolutionary change, 346 pp. New York: Columbia University Press 1974
Marshall, N. B.: The life of fishes, 402 pp. London: Weidenfield & Nicolson 1965
Mitton, J. B. and R. K. Koehn: Genetic organisation and adaptive response of allozymes to ecological variables in Fundulus heteroclitus. Genetics, Princeton 79, 97–111 (1975)
Nei, M.: Molecular population genetics and evolution, 288 pp. Amsterdam: North Holland 1975
Nelson, K. and D. Hedgecock: Enzyme polymorphism and adaptive strategy in the decapod Crustacea. Am. Nat. 116, 238–280 (1980)
Nevo, E.: Genetic variation in natural populations: patterns and theory. Theor. Popul. Biol. 13, 121–177 (1978)
Ormond, R.: Deceptions on the coral reef,. New Scient. 19 March, 370–733 (1981)
Powell, J. R.: Protein variation in natural populations of animals. In: Evolutionary biology, pp 79–119. Ed. by T. Dobzhansky, M. K. Hecht and W. C. Steere. New York: Plenum Press 1975
Richardson, B. J. and R. E. Kearney: The distribution of protein variation in skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) from the central and south-western Pacific. (In preparation)
Selander, R. K.: Genic variations in natural populations. In: Molecular evolution, pp 21–45. Ed. by F. J. Ayala. Massachusetts: Sinauer Associates 1976
Selander, R. K. and D. W. Kaufman: Genic variability and strategies of adaptation in animals. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 70, 1875–1877 (1973)
Siebenaller, J. F.: Genetic variability in deep sea fishes of the genus Sebastolobus (Scorpaenidae). In: Marine organisms: genetics, ecology and evolution, pp 95–122. Ed. by B. Battaglia and J. A. Beardmore, New York: Plenum Press 1978
Smith, P. J., R. I. C. C. Francis and L. J. Paul: Genetic variation and population structure in the New Zealand snapper. N.Z. Jl mar. Freshwat. Res. 12, 343–350 (1978)
Smith, P. J. and A. Jamieson: Protein variation in the Atlantic mackerel Scomber scombrus. Anim. Blood Grps biochem. Genet. 11, 23–30 (1980)
Smith, P. J., G. J. Patchell and P. G. Benson: Genetic tags in the New Zealand hoki, Macruronus novaezelandiae. Anim. blood Grps biochem. Genet. 12, 37–45 (1981)
Smith, P. J. and D. A. Robertson: Genetic evidence for two species of sprat (Sprattus) in New Zealand waters. Mar. Biol. 62, 227–233 (1981)
Smith, P. J., B. A. Wood and P. G. Benson: Electrophoretic and meristic separation of blue maomao and sweep. N.Z. Jl mar. Freshwat. Res. 13, 549–551 (1979)
Sokal, R. R. and F. J. Rohlf: Biometry. The principles and practice of statistics in biological research, 776 pp. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman & Co. 1969
Somero, G. N. and M. Soulé: Genetic variation in marine fishes as a test of the niche variation hypothesis. Nature, Lond. 249, 670–672 (1974)
Soulé, M.: Phenetics of natural populations. III. Variations in insular populations of a lizard. Am. Nat. 106, 429–446 (1972)
Soulé, M.: Allozyme variation: its determination in space and time. In: Molecular evolution, pp 60–77. Ed. by F. J. Ayala. Massachusetts: Sinauer Associates 1976
Taniguchi, N. and Y. Okada: Genetic study on the biochemical polymorphism in red sea bream. Bull. Jap. Soc. scient. Fish. 46, 437–443 (1980)
Utter, F. M., H. O. Hodgins and F. W. Allendorf: Biochemical genetic studies of fishes: potentialities and limitations. In: Biochemical and biophysical perspectives in marine biology, pp 213–228. Ed. by J. R. Sargent. New York: Academic Press 1974
Valentine, J. W.: Genetic strategies of adaptation. In: Molecular evolution, pp 78–94. Ed. by F. J. Ayala. Massachusetts: Sinauer Associates 1976
Valentine, J. W. and F. J. Ayala: Genetic variation in Frieleia halli, a deep sea brachiopod. Deep-Sea Res. 22, 37–44 (1974)
Valentine, J. W. and F. J. Ayala: Adaptive strategies in the sea. In: Marine organisms: genetics, ecology, and evolution, pp 323–345. Ed. by B. Battaglia and J. A. Beardmore. New York: Plenum Press 1978
Ward, R. D.: Relationship between enzyme heterozygosity and quarternary structure. Biochem. Genet. 15, 123–135 (1977)
Ward, R. D. and R. A. Galleguillos: Protein variation in the plaice, the dab and the flounder and their genetic relationships. In: Marine organisms: genetics, ecology, and evolution, pp 71–93. Ed. by B. Battaglia and J. A. Beardmore, New York: Plenum Press 1978
Wheeler, A.: The fishes of the British Isles and north west Europe, 613 pp. London: MacMillan 1969
Winans, G. A.: Geographic variation in the milkfish, Chanos chanos. I. Biochemical evidence. Evolution, Lawrence, Kansas 34, 558–574 (1980)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by G.F Humphrey, Sydney
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Smith, P.J., Fujio, Y. Genetic variation in marine teleosts: High variability in habitat specialists and low variability in habitat generalists. Mar. Biol. 69, 7–20 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00396955
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00396955