Microsatellite loci in the tiger shark and cross-species amplification using pyrosequencing technology.

The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) has a global distribution in tropical and warm temperate seas, and it is caught in numerous fisheries worldwide, mainly as bycatch. It is currently assessed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. In this study, we identified nine microsatellite loci through next generation sequencing (454 pyrosequencing) using 29 samples from the western Atlantic. The genetic diversity of these loci were assessed and revealed a total of 48 alleles ranging from 3 to 7 alleles per locus (average of 5.3 alleles). Cross-species amplification was successful at most loci for other species such as Carcharhinus longimanus, C. acronotus and Alopias superciliosus. Given the potential applicability of genetic markers for biological conservation, these data may contribute to the population assessment of this and other species of sharks worldwide.

Genetic polyandry and sexual conflict in the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, in the western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.

To investigate patterns of polyandry in the sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus), 20 pregnant females were sampled from the western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Five species-specific microsatellite markers were used to genotype each shark and its litter. Of 20 litters, 17 (85%) were shown to have multiple sires. In multiply sired litters, the estimated minimum number of sires ranged from two to five with an average of 2.3 males per litter. Regression analysis did not demonstrate a significant relationship between female reproductive success and female body size or sire number and female body size. There was a high incidence of reproductive skew noted in litters, and two groups of males with significantly different mean reproductive success were observed. Analyses using Bateman's principles suggest that there is less direct benefit for females that acquire multiple mates than for males who bias paternity within litters. In light of past morphological and behavioural studies, these data suggest that patterns of polyandry in elasmobranchs may be determined by coercive mating, and that breeding behaviour has likely evolved in the context of sexual conflict.