Abstract

Lutjanidae is one of the largest teleostean families, are commonly known as snappers and is one of the most important in Caribbean fisheries. For appropriate management, description of dispersion patterns for each species is needed. However, specific identification of lutjanid larvae is still difficult despite published larval descriptions and is one of the main bottlenecks in our understanding of their early life cycle. To address this problem, we identified diagnostic polymorphisms within the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) for 15 lutjanid species in the Caribbean. Adult specimens were obtained from local catches and larvae from plankton tows using a 202?m mesh net. DNA variation was quantified through the use of polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) amplification of fragments corresponding to 450bp of the mtDNA 12S rRNA gene followed by sequencing. Phylogenetic trees were constructed from DNA sequence data including adults and larvae. Six species were identified within the larvae: Lutjanus apodus, Lutjanus synagris, Lutjanus analis, Lutjanus mohogoni, Ocyurus chysurus and Rhomboplites aurorubens. Identification of these larvae can facilitate the understanding of previous investigations regarding dispersal patterns for which larvae were just characterized to the family level. Information gathered will also be highly valuable to design more detailed research leading to the description of dispersal and recruitment patterns, as well as spawning and habitat selection, for these species. Such analyses are of vital relevance for assessments regarding the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) as a management option to restore diminishing stocks of coral reef fish populations.

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