Population genetic structure and larval dispersal strategy of portunid crab Charybdis bimaculata in Yellow sea and East China sea

Larval dispersal may have an important effect on genetic structure of benthic species. However, different species may choose different larval dispersal strategy. To examine the population genetic structure and larval dispersal strategy of portunid crab Charybdis bimaculata, a 658 base pair (bp) fragment of mtDNA COI gene was sequenced in this species. In total, 67 individuals were collected from 5 locations in Yellow Sea and East China, and 24 haplotypes were obtained. Mean haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity for the five populations ranged from 0.2000 +/- 0.1541 (Zhoushan) to 0.8333 +/- 0.1265 (Nanji island), and from 0.0003 +/- 0.0005 (Zhoushan) to 0.0026 +/- 0.0019 (Nanji island). Analysis of molecular variance and pairwise FST revealed no significant differentiation between the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea in C. bimaculata, supporting high larval dispersal ability in this species, rejecting larval retention. Mismatch distribution revealed that C. bimaculata had undergone population expansion. Larval drift in the ocean currents, and recent range expansion could be the reasons for little genetic structure in the studied area.