Differentiation of Groups of Cod Gadus morhua (Gadidae) in the North Atlantic: Constraints of the Model of Isolation by Distance

Resumo

A comparative analysis of the variability of morphobiological and genetic characteristics in samples from the largest stocks of Atlantic cod in waters of the Northeast and Northwest Atlantic was conducted. Using the results of pairwise assessment of genetic differentiation for the studied microsatellite loci, it was established that the dataset from waters of the New England shelf differed significantly from Iceland–Greenland and Lofoten–Barents Sea cod stocks. It was noted that samples of cod from the waters of East and West Greenland and cod from the waters of the Norwegian and Barents seas, despite significant geographical separation, showed a high level of identity. Special features of application of the model for isolation by distance to studying the formation mechanisms of the population structure were reviewed.