Crossing the Pacific: Genomics Reveals the Presence of Japanese Sardine (<i>Sardinops melanosticta</i>) in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem
Recent increases in frequency and intensity of warm water anomalies and marine heatwaves have led to shifts in species ranges and assemblages. Genomic tools can be instrumental in detecting such shifts. In the early stages of a project assessing population genetic structure in Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax), we detected the presence of Japanese Sardine (Sardinops melanosticta) along the west coast of North America for the first time. We assembled a high quality, chromosome-scale reference genome of the Pacific Sardine and generated low coverage, whole genome sequence (lcWGS) data for 345 sardine collected in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) in 2021 and 2022. Fifty individuals sampled in 2022 were identified as Japanese Sardine based on strong differentiation observed in lcWGS SNP and full mitogenome data. Although we detected a single case of mitochondrial introgression, we did not observe evidence for recent hybridization events. These findings change our understanding of Sardinops spp. distribution and dispersal in the Pacific and highlight the importance of long-term monitoring programs.
Authors
- Kelsey C. James (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9906-4789)
- Wesley A. Larson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4473-3401)
- Jeremiah J. Minich (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7202-965X)
- Nolan T. Hartwick (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7916-7791)
- Nicholas Allsing (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1145-1646)
- Gary C. Longo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4282-9111)
- Todd P. Michael (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6272-2875)
- Matthew T. Craig (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7327-5449)
- Barbara Muhling (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4555-6382)
- Tiffany Duong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3734-519X)
- Ella S. Adams‐Herrmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6776-9059)
Institutions
- University of Central Florida (US)
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (US)
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies (US)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US)
- University of San Diego (US)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (US)
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Fisheries Science Center (US)
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Molecular Ecology
- Published
- 2024-10-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17561
- Citations
- 6
- Primary Topic
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.40
Funders
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration