Morphometric and genetic assessment of Cynoscion guatucupa population structure from Buenos Aires coast, Argentine Sea

Abstract

This study analyzed the morphometric, microsatellite loci and mitochondrial control region variation of the striped weakfish from two feeding and spawning grounds in the coastal area of Buenos Aires province. The characterization of the body shape proved to be different between sites. Genetic structure analysis showed that the main source of genetic variation was within populations rather than among populations and low genetic differentiation was observed between sites. The striped weakfish inhabiting the coastal areas of Buenos Aires would exhibit two management units in agreement with other fishes studied in both areas.