Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An assessment of mitochondrial variation in Arctic gadoids

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Polar Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Climatic changes during the quaternary history in Arctic regions have shaped the genetic variation and genealogies of Arctic species. Several studies have been conducted in recent years on genetic diversity of Arctic organisms, but marine fishes are largely underrepresented in these studies. Here, we present a study on mitochondrial variation in three Arctic gadoids: Arctic cod (Arctogadus glacialis), Greenland cod (Gadus ogac), and Polar cod (Boreogadus saida). In addition, geographic variation in Polar cod is presented. The sequence variation at the mtDNA presents similar patterns as observed for other related marine fishes. Variation in these three species reflects rather different historic processes, due to colonization and climatic changes than differences in life histories. In Polar cod, a deeper genealogy is observed and variation is dependent on both latitude and longitude. The deep genealogy indicates either admixture of separate lineages or a population, which has been stable in size during alternating cold and warm periods of the pleistocene.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aboim MA, Menezes GM, Schlitt T, Rogers AD (2005) Genetic structure and history of populations of the deep-sea fish Helicolenus dactylopterus (Delaroche, 1809) inferred from mtDNA sequence analysis. Mol Ecol 14:1343–1354

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Akasaki T, Yanagimoto T, Yamakami K, Tomonaga H, Sato S (2006) Species identification and PCR-RFLP analysis of cytochrome b gene in cod fish (order Gadiformes) products. J Food Sci 71:190–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Árnason E (2004) Mitochondrial Cytochrome b DNA variation in the high-fecundity Atlantic cod: trans-Atlantic clines and shallow gene genealogy. Genetics 166:1871–1885

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Árnason E, Pálsson S (1996) Mitochondrial cytochrome b DNA sequence variation of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua, from Norway. Mol Ecol 5:715–724

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakke I, Johansen SD (2005) Molecular phylogenetics of gadidae and related gadiformes based on mitochondrial DNA sequences. Mar Biotechnol (NY) 7:61–69

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bermingham E, McCafferty SS, Martin AP (1997) Fish biogeography and molecular clocks: perspectives from the Panamanian Isthmus. In: Kocher TD, Stepien CA (eds) Molecular systematics of fishes. Academic Press, New York, pp 113–128

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bernatchez L, Wilson CC (1998) Comparative phylogeography of nearctic and palearctic fishes. Mol Ecol 7:431–452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breines R, Ursvik A, Nymark M, Johansen SD, Coucheron DH (2008) Complete mitochondrial genome sequences of the Arctic Ocean codfishes Arctogadus glacialis and Boreogadus saida reveal oriL and tRNA gene duplications. Pol Biol. doi:10.1007/s00300-008-0463-7

  • Carr SM, Kivlichan DS, Pepin P, Crutcher DC (1999) Molecular systematics of gadid fishes: implications for the biogeographic origins of Pacific species. Can J Zool 77:19–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christiansen JS, Fevolden SE, Karamushko OV, Karamushko LI (1998) Maternal output in polar fish reproduction. In: di Prisco G, Pisano E, Clarke A (eds) Fishes of Antarctica. Springer, Berlin, pp 41–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Coulson MW, Marshall HD, Pepin P, Carr SM (2006) Mitochondrial genomics of gadine fishes: implications for taxonomy and biogeographic origins from whole-genome data sets. Genome 49:1115–1130

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dodson JJ, Carscadden JE, Bernatchez L, Colombani F (1991) Relationship between spawning mode and phylogeny in mitochondrial DNA of North Atlantic capelin Mallotus villosus. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 66:103–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eldon B, Wakely J (2006) Coalescent processes when the distribution of offspring number among individuals is highly skewed. Genetics 172:2621–2633

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Excoffier L, Laval G, Schneider S (2005) Arlequin ver. 3.0: an integrated software package for population genetics data analysis. Evol Bioinform Online 1:47–50

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fevolden S-E, Martinez I, Christiansen JS (1999) RAPD and scnDNA analyses of polar cod, Boreogadus saida (Pisces, Gadidae), in the North Atlantic. Sarsia 84:99–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant WS, Spies IB, Canino MF (2006) Biogeographic evidence of selection on mitochondrial DNA in north Pacific Walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma. J Hered 97:571–580

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Graves JE (1998) Molecular insights into the population structures of cosmopolitan marine fishes. J Hered 89:427–437

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hedgecock D (1994) Does variance in reproductive success limit effective population size of marine organisms. In: Beaumont AR (ed) Genetics and evolution of aquatic organisms. Chapman and Hall, London, pp 122–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt G (2000) The genetic legacy of the Quaternary ice ages. Nature 405:907–913

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt G (2004) Genetic consequences of climatic oscillations in the Quaternary. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 359:183–195

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johansen S, Bakke I (1996) The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua): relevance to taxonomic studies among codfishes. Mol Mar Biol Biotechnol 5:203–214

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mantel N (1967) The detection of disease clustering and a generalized regression approach. Cancer Res 27:209–220

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Möller PR, Jordan AD, Gravlund P, Steffensen JF (2002) Phylogenetic position of the cryopelagic codfish genus Arctogadus Drjagin, 1932 based on partial mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences. Pol Biol 25:342–349

    Google Scholar 

  • Nei M (1987) Molecular evolutionary genetics. Columbia University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen JG, Jensen JM (1967) Revision of the Arctic cod genus, Arctogadus (Pisces Gadidae). Med Grønl 184:1–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Olsen JB, Merkouris SE, Seeb JE (2002) An examination of spatial and temporal genetic variation in walleye pollock using allozyme, mitochondrial DNA, and microsatellite data—Theragra chalcogramma. Fish Bull 4:752–764

    Google Scholar 

  • Pálsson S, Paulsen J, Árnason E (2008) Rapid evolution of the T–P spacer in Arctogadus glacialis. Mar Biotechnol 10:270–277

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Petit RJ, Csaikl UM, Bordács S, Burg K, Coart E, Cottrell J, van Dam BC, Deans JD, Dumolin-Lapègue S, Fineschi S, Finkelday R, Gillies A, Glaz I, Goicoechea PG, Jensen JS, König A, Lowe AJ, Madsen SF, Mátyás G, Munro RC, Pemonge M-H, Popescu F, Slade D, Tabbener H, Taurchini D, de Vries SMG, Ziegenhagen B, Kremer A (2002) Chloroplast DNA variation in European white oaks: phylogeography and patterns of diversity based on data from over 2600 populations. For Ecol Manage 156:5–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers AR, Harpending H (1992) Population growth makes waves in the distribution of pairwise genetic differences. Mol Biol Evol 9:552–569

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruzzante DE, Taggart CT, Cook D, Goddard S (1995) Genetic differentiation between inshore and offshore Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) off New Foundland: microsatellite DNA variation and antifreeze level. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 53:634–645

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sigurgíslason H, Árnason E (2003) Extent of mitochondrial DNA sequence variation in Atlantic cod from the Faroe Islands: a resolution of gene genealogy. Heredity 91:557–564

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shields GF, Gust JR (1995) Lack of geographic structure in mitochondrial DNA sequences of Bering Sea walleye pollock, Theragra chalcogramma. Mol Mar Biol Biotechnol 4:69–82

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tamura K, Nei M (1993) Estimation of the number of nucleotide substitutions in the control region of mitochondrial DNA in humans and chimpanzees. Mol Biol Evol 7:512–526

    Google Scholar 

  • Teletchea F, Laudet V, Hanni C (2006) Phylogeny of the Gadidae (sensu Svetovidov, 1948) based on their morphology and two mitochondrial genes. Mol Phylogenet Evol 38:189–199

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ursvik A, Breines R, Christiansen JS, Fevolden S-E, Coucheron DH, Johansen SD (2007) A mitogenomic approach to the taxonomy of pollocks: Theragra chalcogramma and T. finnmarchica represent one single species. BMC Evol Biol 7:86

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Waples RS (1987) A multispecies approach to the analysis of gene flow in marine shore fishes. Evolution 41:385–400

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ward RD, Woodwark M, Skibinski DOF (1994) A comparison of genetic diversity levels in marine, freshwater, and anadromous fishes. J Fish Biol 44:213–232

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We want to thank several people who kindly provided samples: Jónbjörn Pálsson, Marine Research Institute, Iceland; Mike Canino, RACE Division, Seattle; Per Kannerworff, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources; Svein-Erik Fevolden and Jörgen Schau Christiansen, University of Tromsö; TUNU-I expedition; and Takashi Yanagimoto, Hokkaido National Fisheries Research Institute. The work was supported by a grant from the Icelandic Research Fund.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biology, University of Iceland, Sturlugata 7, 101, Reykjavik, Iceland

    Snæbjörn Pálsson, Thomas Källman, Jonas Paulsen & Einar Árnason

Authors
  1. Snæbjörn Pálsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Thomas Källman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jonas Paulsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Einar Árnason
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Snæbjörn Pálsson.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplement (DOC 183 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pálsson, S., Källman, T., Paulsen, J. et al. An assessment of mitochondrial variation in Arctic gadoids. Polar Biol 32, 471–479 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0542-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0542-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation