Population genetics and evolutionary history of the intertidal brittle star Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) exigua in the northern China Sea.

ABSTRACT: Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) exigua is a common brittle star in the northwestern Pacific. As a dominant species, O. exigua inhabiting the intertidal rocky ecosystem are affected by multiple environmental stressors, but molecular insights into their genetic population structure remain poorly studied. In this study, we investigated the population genetics and evolutionary history of six O. exigua populations from the northern China Sea using mitochondrial (COI, NAD4) and nuclear (ITS2, 18S) gene markers. High haplotype diversity, low nucleotide diversity, and low rates of gene differentiation among the populations of O. exigua were detected. Pairwise genetic differentiation (Φ_ST) statistics between different localities were negati

SUBMITTER: Zhang Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11405633 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature