Population genetic structure of Penaeus monodon, in relation to monsoon current patterns in Southwest, East and Andaman coastal waters of India

The black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon), a commercially important penaeid species, is widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific region. Genetic diversity in P. monodon collected from eight geographical regions in Southwest, East and Andaman coastal waters of India (N = 418) was investigated using 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci. Average observed heterozygosity at sampled loci were high, ranging from 0.643 (Coromandel Coast) to 0.753 (South Andaman). Pairwise F_ST (ranged from 0.005 to 0.078) and R_ST (ranged from 0.005 to 0.171) estimates revealed surprisingly strong and statistically significant genetic structure among tiger shrimp populations. A synthetic map generated by multidimensional scaling shows an apparent cline in allele frequencies paralleling the roughly circular flow of surface currents in the Bay of Bengal. Significant heterozygote deficiencies were noted in most population samples at most loci. Andaman Island sites showed the highest diversity. Recognition of high genetic diversity and distinct population structuring of P. monodon in Indian seas has important implications for future domestication of this species in India, for two reasons: identification of the best wild founding stocks for aquaculture and, subsequently, the potential impacts of release of domesticates to the wild, either accidentally or deliberately (i.e. for stock enhancement).