Genetic difference between Ezo-awabi Haliotis discus hannai and Kuro-awabi H-discus discus populations:: Microsatellite-based population analysis in Japanese abalone

This study documents the genetic population relationships between Ezo-awabi Haliotis discus hannai and Kuro-awabi H. discus discus by means of the microsatellite technique with an emphasis on the extent of genetic difference between Ezo- and Kuro-awabi populations. Eight markers were employed to screen five populations each collected from Ezo- and Kuro-awabi habitats. All eight loci showed polymorphisms in all populations (number of alleles per locus, 11.1-14.1; averaged expected heterozygosity, 0.64-0.70). The number of loci that yielded significant genetic heterogeneities (allele frequency distribution and/or pairwise theta) between Ezo- and Kuro-awabi populations was larger than that generated in comparisons between populations within Ezo- and Kuro-awabi habitats. According to the bootstrap neighbor-joining trees constructed on the basis of two genetic distance measures (D-A and D-ST), the 10 populations fell into two clusters of populations (Ezo-awabi and Kuro-awabi habitat groups), and the results of hierarchical AMOVA testing also supported the neighbor-joining clustering. The outcomes presented here suggest that the microsatellite markers used in this study are potentially an efficient means to differentiate Ezo- and Kuro-awabi populations.