Population structure of the deep-sea shrimp (Pandalus borealis) in the north-east Atlantic based on allozyme variation

In order to elucidate the population structure of the deep-sea shrimp (Pand alus borealis) in the NE Atlantic, 32 subsamples and 3 865 individuals were analysed for allozymic variation. They were caught at various locations in the Barents Sea, in waters off Svalbard, Jan Mayen and Iceland, and in fjo rds along the Norwegian coast. Only three enzymes (malate dehydrogenase, ph osphoglucomutase and glucosephosphate isomerase) of the 22 initially tested showed a combination of gel images that could be interpreted with confiden ce and allozymic variation. The locus coding for malate dehydrogenase was b y far the most polymorphic. Samples caught within the Barents Sea and in th e Svalbard area showed no significant heterogeneity in allele frequencies, supporting earlier suggestions of only one population of Ii borealis in the Barents Sea. Genetic differentiation was found, however, between Norwegian fjords and the Barents Sea, and among fjords. (C) 2000 Ifremer/Cnrs/Inra/I rd/Cemagref/Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.