VARIATION IN MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA SEQUENCES OF BLACK PORGY, ACANTHOPAGRUS-SCHLEGELI, IN THE COASTAL WATERS OF TAIWAN

Mitochondrial DNA sequences that include the 5' end of the D-loop regi on, the 3' end of the D-loop region, the tRNAPhe gene, and the 5' end of the 12S rRNA gene were determined from 49 specimens of Acanthopagru s schlegeli and 1 specimen of A. australis collected from 7 locations along the coastal waters of Taiwan and Matsu off the coast of mainland China, and from an aquaculture pond. Among 33 haplotypes identified f rom the 49 mtDNA sequences, there were 32 variable sites, most of whic h occurred in the 5' end of the D-loop region. Pairwise sequence dista nces among haplotypes, using the Tamura-Nei model, range between 0.001 4 and 0.0127. The phylogenetic tree constructed by use of the unweight ed pair-group method with arithmetic average shows neither significant genealogical branches nor geographic clusters. AII of the bootstrap c onfidence levels resulting from 1000 bootstrap tests are below 50%. Fu rthermore, the sequence-statistics test reveals little genetic differe ntiation. Apparently, wild black porgies in the coastal waters of Taiw an and Matsu off the coast of mainland China, belong to a single popul ation. There is no significant genetic differentiation between the wil d and pond-cultivated populations.