Genetic and phenotypic differentiation of lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) across the North Atlantic: implications for conservation and aquaculture.

ABSTRACT: Demand for lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) has increased exponentially over the last decade, both for their roe, which is used as a caviar substitute, and increasingly also as cleaner fish to control sea lice in salmon farming. The species is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN and there are growing concerns that over-exploitation of wild stocks and translocation of hatchery-reared lumpfish may compromise the genetic diversity of native populations. We carried out a comparative analysis of genetic and phenotypic variation across the species' range to estimate the level of genetic and phenotypic differentiation, and determined patterns of gene flow at spatial scales relevant to management. We found five genetically distinct groups located in the West Atlantic (USA and Canada), Mi

SUBMITTER: Whittaker BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6251346 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature