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Pleistocene isolation, secondary introgression and restricted contemporary gene flow in the pig-eye shark, Carcharhinus amboinensis across northern Australia

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Abstract

We examine the structure and phylogeography of the pig-eye shark (Carcharhinus amboinensis) common in shallow coastal environments in northern Australia using two types of genetic markers, two mitochondrial (control region and NADH hydrogenase 4) and two nuclear (microsatellite and Rag 1) DNA. Two populations were defined within northern Australia on the basis of mitochondrial DNA evidence, but this result was not supported by nuclear microsatellite or Rag 1 markers. One possibility for this structure might be sex-specific behaviours such as female philopatry, although we argue it is doubtful that sufficient time has elapsed for any potential signatures from this behaviour to be expressed in nuclear markers. It is more likely that the observed pattern represents ancient populations repeatedly isolated and connected during episodic sea level changes during the Pleistocene epoch, until current day with restricted contemporary gene flow maintaining population genetic structure. Our results show the need for an understanding of both the history and ecology of a species in order to interpret patterns in genetic structure.

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Acknowledgments

Funded by Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge Research Hub, Charles Darwin University, Darwin and the Molecular Fisheries Laboratory, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, Queensland Government. Sampling was undertaken with the kind support of fishermen; Wildlife Resources Inc; Kakadu National Park; Fishing and Fisheries Research, Centre James Cook University; Department of Fisheries—Western Australia, Fish for the Future, RSK Environment LTD/University of Bangor and the Department of Resources—Fisheries, Northern Territory. We also thank R. Street and J. Morgan for their technical expertise and Bioscience North Australia for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Darwin, NT, 0810, Australia

    B. J. Tillett & I. C. Field

  2. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Arafura Timor Research Facility, Darwin, NT, 0810, Australia

    B. J. Tillett, M. G. Meekan & I. C. Field

  3. Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge Research Hub, Charles Darwin University, Yulara, NT, 0810, Australia

    B. J. Tillett

  4. Molecular Fisheries Laboratory, Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, St Lucia, 4067, QLD, Australia

    B. J. Tillett, D. Broderick & J. R. Ovenden

  5. KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, Private Bag 2, Umhlanga, 432, South Africa

    G. Cliff

  6. Australian Institute of Marine Science, UWA Ocean Sciences Centre (MO96), 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    M. G. Meekan

  7. Marine Mammal Research Group, Graduate School of The Environment, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia

    I. C. Field

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  1. B. J. Tillett
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Correspondence to B. J. Tillett.

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Tillett, B.J., Meekan, M.G., Broderick, D. et al. Pleistocene isolation, secondary introgression and restricted contemporary gene flow in the pig-eye shark, Carcharhinus amboinensis across northern Australia. Conserv Genet 13, 99–115 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-011-0268-z

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