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Conservation Genetics of the American Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus): Allelic Diversity, Zones of Genetic Discontinuity, and Regional Differentiation

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Changing Global Perspectives on Horseshoe Crab Biology, Conservation and Management

Abstract

Extensive studies of genetic variation of Atlantic horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus populations have revealed the presence of considerable allelic diversity and population structuring that appear to reflect the actions of various evolutionary processes. We have expanded on our previous efforts to gain a more refined understanding of L. polyphemus population structure by surveying 792 additional animals distributed among 12 additional spawning aggregations. Here we report on variation at 13 microsatellite DNA markers for 1,684 horseshoe crabs sampled from 33 spawning assemblages from northern Maine to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Average unbiased heterozygosity (uH E ) was high (0.74 ± 0.01), the number of private alleles was low (0.06 ± 0.04), effective population size (N e) ranged from 22 to 187, inbreeding (F) ranged from −0.07 to 0.07, and tests for genic differentiation among populations indicated shallow but statistically significant differentiation within regions and highly significant differences among regions (P < 0.005). Current findings are consistent with previous research by this group in suggesting a series of genetic discontinuities across the species’ range that could indicate regional adaptive significance or reflect vicariant geographic events. Additional collections allowed improved delineation of structuring (as reflected by two new zones of genetic discontinuity) along the southeast Atlantic coast as well as identification of previously undetected shallow but significant structuring along the Florida Gulf coast. Regional groupings may warrant management unit recognition based on the patterns observed among multiple genetic metrics. The integration of this information with previously identified genetic variation and ecological data is essential to developing an ecologically and evolutionarily sound conservation management strategy.

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Acknowledgements

The U.S. Geological Survey (State Partnership and Quick Response programs), the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the AAAS Women’s International Science Collaboration Program funded this research. The following individuals graciously provided L. polyphemus tissue samples: S. Schaller, C. McBane, K. Tuxbury, C. Grahn, B. Battelle, M-J. James-Pirri, T. O’Connell, J. Mattei, R. Chapman, G. Ehlinger, L. Barton, T. Summers, C. Callahan, C. Morrison, D.R. Smith, K. Voges, A. Garcia, Z. Johnson, R. Johnson, K. Hovatter, V. Robbins, and P. Pooler. Assistance with the Yucatan field collection was provided by G. V. Rios, Centro Regional de Investigación Pesquera, Yucalpetén, Mexico. We thank the State of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Ryan Gandy and Michael Tringali (St. Petersburg Office) for their kind help in providing genotype data on the newest Florida collections. Laboratory assistance was provided by B. Eleby, R. Long, R. Johnson, and M. Meadows. We thank J. Young for assistance in generating the collection site map. Funding for EH’s participation in this work was provided in part by the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station and the Hatch Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Use of trade, product, or firm names does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Leetown Science Center, Aquatic Ecology Branch, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA

    Tim L. King & Michael S. Eackles

  2. Cherokee Nation Technology Solutions, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA

    Aaron W. Aunins

  3. Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-8525, USA

    H. Jane Brockmann

  4. Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Eric Hallerman

  5. Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 W. Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA

    Bonnie L. Brown

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  1. Tim L. King
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  2. Michael S. Eackles
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  4. H. Jane Brockmann
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  6. Bonnie L. Brown
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Correspondence to Tim L. King .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island, Alabama, USA

    Ruth H. Carmichael

  2. Fordham University Dept. Natural Sciences, New York, New York, USA

    Mark L. Botton

  3. Department of Biology and Chemistry,, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Paul K.S. Shin

  4. Department of Biology and Chemistry,, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Siu Gin Cheung

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King, T.L., Eackles, M.S., Aunins, A.W., Brockmann, H.J., Hallerman, E., Brown, B.L. (2015). Conservation Genetics of the American Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus): Allelic Diversity, Zones of Genetic Discontinuity, and Regional Differentiation. In: Carmichael, R., Botton, M., Shin, P., Cheung, S. (eds) Changing Global Perspectives on Horseshoe Crab Biology, Conservation and Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19542-1_4

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