Diversity 2013, 5(1), 39-50; doi:10.3390/d5010039
Article

High Genetic Diversity in Geographically Remote Populations of Endemic and Widespread Coral Reef Angelfishes (genus: Centropyge)

Jean-Paul A. Hobbs 1,* email, Lynne van Herwerden 2,3 email, Dean R. Jerry 2,3 email, Geoffrey P. Jones 3,4 email and Philip L. Munday 3,4 email
1 The Oceans Institute and School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia 2 Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Australia 3 School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Australia 4 ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, QLD, Australia
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 8 January 2013; in revised form: 21 January 2013 / Accepted: 25 January 2013 / Published: 4 February 2013
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Abstract: In the terrestrial environment, endemic species and isolated populations of widespread species have the highest rates of extinction partly due to their low genetic diversity. To determine if this pattern holds in the marine environment, we examined genetic diversity in endemic coral reef angelfishes and isolated populations of widespread species. Specifically, this study tested the prediction that angelfish (genus: Centropyge) populations at Christmas and Cocos Islands have low genetic diversity. Analyses of a 436 base pair fragment of the mtDNA control region revealed that the endemic C. joculator exhibited high haplotype (h > 0.98 at both locations) and nucleotide (Christmas p% = 3.63, Cocos p% = 9.99) diversity. Similarly, isolated populations of widespread angelfishes (C. bispinosa and C. flavicauda) had high haplotype (h > 0.98) and nucleotide (p% = 2.81 and p% = 5.78%, respectively) diversity. Therefore, in contrast to terrestrial patterns, endemic and isolated populations of widespread angelfishes do not have low genetic diversity, rather their haplotype and nucleotide diversities were among the highest reported for marine fishes. High genetic diversity should reduce extinction risk in these species as it could provide the evolutionary potential to adapt to the rapidly changing environmental conditions forecast for coral reefs.
Keywords: extinction risk; haplotype diversity; nucleotide diversity; Pomacanthidae; Christmas Island; Cocos (Keeling) Islands

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MDPI and ACS Style

Hobbs, J.-P.A.; van Herwerden, L.; Jerry, D.R.; Jones, G.P.; Munday, P.L. High Genetic Diversity in Geographically Remote Populations of Endemic and Widespread Coral Reef Angelfishes (genus: Centropyge). Diversity 2013, 5, 39-50.

AMA Style

Hobbs J-PA, van Herwerden L, Jerry DR, Jones GP, Munday PL. High Genetic Diversity in Geographically Remote Populations of Endemic and Widespread Coral Reef Angelfishes (genus: Centropyge). Diversity. 2013; 5(1):39-50.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hobbs, Jean-Paul A.; van Herwerden, Lynne; Jerry, Dean R.; Jones, Geoffrey P.; Munday, Philip L. 2013. "High Genetic Diversity in Geographically Remote Populations of Endemic and Widespread Coral Reef Angelfishes (genus: Centropyge)." Diversity 5, no. 1: 39-50.

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