Identifying Whitemouth Croaker (Micropogonias furnieri) Populations along the Rio de Janeiro Coast, Brazil, through Microsatellite and Otolith Analyses

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The whitemouth croaker Micropogonias furnieri is an important fishery resource on the southwest Atlantic coast. Despite being heavily exploited, there are a few uncertainties regarding the population structure in the transition area between the tropical and warm temperate zones (South Brazilian Bight). In the State of Rio de Janeiro (the northern part of this area), local environmental conditions, such as an upwelling phenomena and large estuarine bays, together with contributions of continental drainage and anthropogenic activities, could determine different croaker populations. The aim of this study was to assess the fine-scale population structure of this species in three localities in Rio de Janeiro State (Brazil) and to compare it with previous studies that used different approaches. Through the combined use of genetic markers (nuclear microsatellites) and otolith signatures (morphometry and chemistry), two genotypic (North + Center/South) and three phenotypic (North + Center + South) populations were found. These results could contribute to a better understanding of the M. furnieri population dynamics and allow a rational management of this important fishing resource. ABSTRACT: The inshore area of the Southwestern Atlantic between 22 °S and 29 °S (South Brazilian Bight) is a transitional climatic zone, where the tropical and warm temperate provinces mix. In its northern part, i.e., in the coastal waters of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, local oceanographic conditions, such as upwelling in the north, and great bays with different degrees of anthropogenic influences in the center and south can determine the population structure of several fish stocks. The Whitemouth croaker (Micropogonias furnieri) is one the most heavily exploited fishing resources in this area, but there are still some doubts about its population structure. In this study, through combined analyses using nuclear genetic markers and morphological and geochemical signatures of otoliths, a divergence of individuals between two populations was identified using microsatellites, while a finer spatial structure with three populations (north, center and south, respectively) was found based on otolith shapes and elemental signatures. This regional population structure may have direct implications for rational fisheries management and conservation of the species.