title: Low genetic diversity and recent demographic expansion in the red starfish Echinaster sepositus (Retzius 1816).
abstract: Understanding the phylogeography and genetic structure of populations and the processes responsible of patterns therein is crucial for evaluating the vulnerability of marine species and developing management strategies. In this study, we explore how past climatic events and ongoing oceanographic and demographic processes have shaped the genetic structure and diversity of the Atlanto-Mediterranean red starfish Echinaster sepositus. The species is relatively abundant in some areas of the Mediterranean Sea, but some populations have dramatically decreased over recent years due to direct extraction for ornamental aquariums and souvenir industries. Analyses across most of the distribution range of the species based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene and eight microsatellite loci revealed very low intraspecific genetic diversity. The species showed a weak genetic structure within marine basins despite the a priori low dispersal potential of its lecithotrophic larva. Our results also revealed a very recent demographic expansion across the distribution range of the species. The genetic data presented here indicate that the species might be highly vulnerable, due to its low intraspecific genetic diversity.
authors.affiliation: Animal Biology Department and Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBIO), Barcelona University, Avda. Diagonal, 643, Barcelona, Spain.|Center of Advanced Studies of Blanes (CSIC-CEAB), Accès cala St. Francesc, 14, Blanes, Spain.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garcia-Cisneros
authors.affiliation: Animal Biology Department and Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBIO), Barcelona University, Avda. Diagonal, 643, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Creu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palacín
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Recherche Génétique, Biodiversité et Valorisation des Bioressources, Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Monastir, Av. Tahar Haddad, 5000, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Yousra
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ben Khadra
authors.affiliation: Center of Advanced Studies of Blanes (CSIC-CEAB), Accès cala St. Francesc, 14, Blanes, Spain.
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pérez-Portela
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics; D051456:Gene Flow / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D058974:Phylogeography; D013215:Starfish / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV