Abstract
The Lesser Sunda Seascape (LSS) is a critical habitat for various megafauna, including the spinetail devil ray (Mobula mobular). For decades, bycatch from drift gillnet fisheries has increased in the LSS, posing a greater threat to their populations. Migratory species require population-based management to effectively address their conservation needs and ensure their long-term survival. Fifty-five samples were collected from three locations within the LSS, i.e., East Flores (19), West Manggarai (15), and East Java (21). This study aims to understand the population genetic structure of M. mobular within the three different locations around the LSS using eight microsatellite markers and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) NADH-dehydrogenase subunit 5. The analysis of molecular variances result indicated the significant result between the three locations based on microsatellite data (0.0876, p < 0.05 for eight loci and 0.1360, p < 0.05 for four loci) and mtDNA (0.04820, p < 0.05). The pairwise genetic differentiation index (Fst) revealed that East Flores versus West Manggarai has a nonsignificant value (p > 0.05). Meanwhile, East Flores or West Manggarai versus East Java showed a significant Fst value (p < 0.05). In conclusion, microsatellite and mtDNA results revealed that in the LSS, spinetail devil rays are divided into two distinct subpopulations: the Savu Sea (East Flores and West Manggarai) subpopulation and the East Java subpopulation. Even though there are two potential subpopulations in the LSS, co-management of this species should be prioritized in the LSS due to the indication of shared haplotypes between those locations.
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Data availability
The raw mitochondrial DNA for ND5 gen of this study has been submitted to National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank database with accession numbers OR248469–OR248523. Then, the raw microsatellite DNA score result of this study is available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We thank our funders Vulcan Inc., MacArthur Foundation, Shark Conservation Fund, and WildAid Canada Society, for supporting our research program in the Savu Sea as a part of Lamakera Manta Conservation Project. This field activity and genetic analysis also has been funded and supported by the Rufford Foundation (small grant refs: 30112-1 and 34956-2), the IDEA WILD (MALIINDO0122), National Academy of Sciences (NAS), and USAID under the USAID Prime Award Number AID-OAA-A-11-00012, and the Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation at The Pew Charitable Trusts. In addition, we extend our thanks to the Secretary of DJPRL KKP for their support of this research through MOU 02/PRL/KKP/PKS/II/2021. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funders.
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MDAM: conceptualization, data curation, methodology, formal analysis, resources, visualization, investigation, writing—original draft, funding acquisition. MIHP: conceptualization, data curation, investigation, resources, visualization, writing—review and editing. ET: data curation, investigation. NLAY: project administration, validation, formal analysis. NPDP: writing—review and editing. YFS: validation, writing—review and editing. NKDC: writing—review and editing, supervision. EYA: investigation. SL: funding acquisition. LNLT: writing—review and editing. MGS: data curation, writing—review and editing. FT: data curation. FAA: data curation, writing—review and editing. DP: funding acquisition, writing—review and editing. AS: writing—review and editing, funding acquisition, supervision.
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Al Malik, M.D., Putra, M.I.H., Topan, E. et al. Population structure of endangered spinetail devil ray (Mobula mobular) in the Lesser Sunda Seascape, Indonesia, revealed using microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA. Aquat Sci 86, 6 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-023-01020-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-023-01020-3