Insights into the genetic structure of the rabbitfish Chimaera monstrosa (Holocephali) across the Atlantic-Mediterranean transition zone.

ABSTRACT

A comparison of the genetic structure of Chimaera monstrosa populations from the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea was carried out using mitochondrial DNA analysis. Results indicate high and significant pairwise ΦST values with no shared haplotypes between the two areas. Furthermore, migration rate estimates suggested absence of gene flow between the two basins. These findings, coupled with the species vertical distribution, suggest that the shallow depth of the Strait of Gibraltar may act as a barrier limiting the dispersal capabilities of these populations, which likely became separated at the end of the middle Pleistocene.