POPULATION-STRUCTURE OF THE PACIFIC BLACK HALIBUT REINHARDTIUS-MATSUURAE JORDAN ET SNYDER

A blood serum electrophoresis study of black halibut (Reinhardtius mat suurae Jordan et Snyder) in the North Pacific revealed polymorphic pro tein systems of esterases (Est-l, Est-2) and transferrin (Tf). Compari son of genetic similarity among black halibut from different locations of the northern Pacific Ocean showed that groups inhabiting areas wit h stable water circulation were genetically more different than groups inhabiting geographically distant waters that were connected by sea c urrents. It is concluded that black halibut in the North Pacific consi sts of two types of metapopulations. The first type comprises populati ons inhabiting waters with a stable water circulation which entrains t he pelagic eggs and larvae. The other type comprises an aggregate of l ocal populations connected to a central population through water curre nts that transport the pelagic eggs and larvae. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.