Overlapping patterns of morphometric and genetic differentiation in the Mediterranean goby Pomatoschistus tortonesei Miller, 1968 (Perciformes, Gobiidae) in Tunisian lagoons

Abstract. The genetic and morphological variations of Pomatoschistus tortonesei Miller, 1968 were studied in samples collected from three Tunisian lagoons. The morphological analysis included 18 morphometric measurements and was based on linear discriminant analysis (LDA), whereas the genetic analysis was based on the 16S-rRNA and COI mitochondrial genes. Both analyses differentiated the populations and demonstrated consistently a well-supported differentiation between the western Mediterranean samples (Bizerta and Tunis South lagoons) and the eastern Mediterranean sample (El Bibane lagoon). The observed differentiation could be explained in terms of the geographic isolation of the various populations and the influence of environmental factors, which differ greatly between the different sites. The molecular results revealed that the populations are characterised by unique haplotypes which are well defined in relation to limited gene flow and restricted dispersal abilities. Additionally, it seems that local selective pressures have modelled biometrical variation. Morphological results can reflect a differential habitat use revealed in the cephalic features and a different response to hydrodynamic constraints developed in dissimilar dorsal and pelvic fin lengths

A study on Pomatoschistus tortonesei Miller 1968 (Perciformes, Gobiidae) reveals the Siculo-Tunisian Strait (STS) as a breakpoint to gene flow in the Mediterranean basin.

The current genetic structure of P. tortonesei, exclusively inhabiting lagoons, may reflect a Plio-Pleistocene colonisation of an ancestor line which has undergone phases of population decline and expansion, following alternate cooling phases. Regarding the calculation of divergence time, it has been estimated that P. tortonesei seems to be the most recent species within the Pomatoschistus genus. It appears also that the discrepancy of P. tortonesei into two distinct phyletic lineages occurred 0.1 Mya. Recurring shifts in sea level and sea surface temperatures of Mediterranean Sea caused the desiccation of shallower lagoons and the consequent bottleneck phenomena of the brackish populations. Genetic differentiation in P. tortonesei seems to have been affected by its historical demography. Colonization and re-colonization processes could have had strong effects on mitochondrial genealogy lineages. The SPN showed two haplogroups for each gene, each consistent with the two main clades, W-MED and E-MED, and resulting in a star-like shape network in agreement with the expansion model. These results correlated with those obtained through neutrality statistic tests, where significantly negative values for Tajima’s D and Fu’s F statistics were most likely the result of recent population growth, since the mismatch distribution of both genes fitted the predicted distribution under a model of sudden population expansion

Allozyme and mtDNA variation of white seabream Diplodus sargus populations in a transition area between western and eastern Mediterranean basins (Siculo-Tunisian Strait)

To investigate the possible influence of the Siculo-Tunisian Strait on the genetic structure of white seabream Diplodus sargus, 13 polymorphic allozyme loci and a fragment of the cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA were analysed. Allozyme data indicated a moderate but significant differentiation between some north-eastern (Bizerta, Ghar El Melh Lagoon and Mahdia) and southern (Gabes Gulf and El Biban Lagoon) samples. This heterogeneity was also highlighted after removing PGM* and PGI-1* loci which may be under selection. These results can be explained by the chaotic genetic patchiness hypothesis. In contrast, the mtDNA data indicated genetic homogeneity among localities showing the absence of structure in white seabream populations across the Siculo-Tunisian Strait. Historical demography of this species suggests that it has undergone a recent population expansion as a consequence of a bottleneck event during the Pleistocene glaciations.Keywords: chaotic genetic patchiness, cytochrome b, discrepancy, genetic connectivity, Tunisian coasts, Wahlund effectAfrican Journal of Marine Science 2011, 33(1): 79–9