Complex spatial clonal structure in the macroalgae Fucus radicans with both sexual and asexual recruitment.

ABSTRACT: In dioecious species with both sexual and asexual reproduction, the spatial distribution of individual clones affects the potential for sexual reproduction and local adaptation. The seaweed Fucus radicans, endemic to the Baltic Sea, has separate sexes, but new attached thalli may also form asexually. We mapped the spatial distribution of clones (multilocus genotypes, MLGs) over macrogeographic (>500 km) and microgeographic (<100 m) scales in the Baltic Sea to assess the relationship between clonal spatial structure, sexual recruitment, and the potential for natural selection. Sexual recruitment was predominant in some areas, while in others asexual recruitment dominated. Where clones of both sexes were locally intermingled, sexual recruitment was nevertheless low. In some highly clonal pop

SUBMITTER: Ardehed A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4667831 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature