Genetic Divergence Among Marine and Lagoon Atherina boyeri Populations in Greece Using mtDNA Analysis

Genetic differentiation and phylogenetic relationships among 15 Atherina boyeri populations from several marine and lagoon or lake sites in Greece were investigated using mtDNA analysis. PCR-RFLP analysis of 12s, 16s rRNA genes and D-loop revealed 23 haplotypes. All the lake or lagoon populations, as well as the Kymi and Kalymnos populations that originated from sites with lagoonlike environmental conditions, showed haplotypes 1-6, clearly distinguishable from the marine populations, which exhibited types 7-23. The genetic divergence values estimated between the lagoon and the marine populations ranged from 5.55 to 10.45%. The high genetic differentiation observed between these two types of populations is also highlighted by the dendrograms obtained using UPGMA and maximum parsimony methods.