Inter- and Intra-Species Relationships of Greenland Halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides (Pleuronectidae) Based on the Analysis of Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genetic Markers

Abstract

Samples of Greenland halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides (Jordan and Snyder, 1901) from the Atlantic, Arctic, and Pacific Oceans were compared using eight microsatellite loci and the Cyt b mtDNA gene. The data obtained revealed a population connectivity of the Greenland halibut from the Laptev Sea to those from the Atlantic Ocean that is result of considerable eastward range extension due to recent climate change. Genetic differences between the Greenland halibut groupings of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, according to F_st values (0.141–0.197), reach a high level. Given the genetic differences revealed by both nuclear and mitochondrial markers, the taxonomic status of the Greenland halibut inhabiting the Pacific Ocean requires reevaluation at least to the rank of subspecies. It is suggested that the Greenland halibut populations of the Atlantic Ocean basin originated from those of the North Pacific. The time and conditions of Greenland halibut penetration from the North Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean are discussed.