382
The future perspective for Goliath Grouper in Brazil is to amplify these methods to
other areas along the coast, empowering the researchers to use hormones and blood
plasmatic steroids to determine the gender and the stage of sexual maturity.
14.3.5 Genetics and Molecular Advances for Atlantic Goliath
Grouper’s Conservation
Atlantic Goliath Grouper has been overfished throughout its range from southern
Brazil to the southeastern United States, including the Caribbean and the Gulf of
Mexico. Although the species was considered endangered by the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2007, genetic information about its
stocks are still incipient. Some efforts to increase the knowledge about population
and evolutionary aspects were applied using different molecular strategies for the E.
itajara and related species. We present here an overview on these researches and
their main results, as well as some progress in forensic genetics and the perspectives
to genomic studies of the Atlantic Goliath Grouper.
Considering that some basic information about the phylogeny, diversity and connectivity of the populations are essential for species conservation programs, studies
focusing on these aspects can be a good starting point for obtaining knowledge
about the real conservation status of fish stocks.
Currently, several molecular tools are available for this purpose. We can highlight mitochondrial and nuclear markers that have been widely applied in conservation genetic studies, and that with the advent of the genomic and new technologies
started to be called “traditional markers”.
The first molecular study involving the genus Epinephelus had a phylogenetic
focus. Craig et al. (2001) provided evidence for a monophyletic Epinephelinae and
a paraphyletic Cephalopholis and Epinephelus, and suggested that the evaluated
grouper lineages were not limited to biogeographical provinces. This study used
mitochondrial DNA sequences of the16S ribosomal DNA region, but based on a
limited number of taxa. Aiming to expand it, a new research using more markers
and species was performed (Craig and Hastings 2007). In this one, two nuclear and
two mitochondrial genes from 155 species of serranids and other acanthomorphs
were evaluated. The authors showed Serranidae as polyphyletic and demonstrated
the paraphyly of the genera Cephalopholis, Epinephelus, and Mycteroperca.
Until 2008, data on genetic diversity and population structure of Epinephelus
were available only for: hawaiian grouper, E. quernus (Rivera et al. 2004); red grouper, E. morio (Zatcoff et al. 2004); E. marginatus (Maggio et al. 2006); and E.
labriformis (Craig and Hastings 2007).
Silva-Oliveira et al. (2008) presented the first data about diversity and population
connectivity for Atlantic Goliath Grouper. In this study, 116 individuals from the
Northern Brazilian coast were evaluated, using 499 bp of the mtDNA control region
(D-loop) from five localities (Bragança and Ajuruteua, in the state of Pará; Parnaiba,
in the state of Piauí; Fortaleza, in the state of Ceará; and Natal, in the state of Rio
M. Hostim-Silva et al.
The future perspective for Goliath Grouper in Brazil is to amplify these methods to
other areas along the coast, empowering the researchers to use hormones and blood
plasmatic steroids to determine the gender and the stage of sexual maturity.
14.3.5 Genetics and Molecular Advances for Atlantic Goliath
Grouper’s Conservation
Atlantic Goliath Grouper has been overfished throughout its range from southern
Brazil to the southeastern United States, including the Caribbean and the Gulf of
Mexico. Although the species was considered endangered by the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2007, genetic information about its
stocks are still incipient. Some efforts to increase the knowledge about population
and evolutionary aspects were applied using different molecular strategies for the E.
itajara and related species. We present here an overview on these researches and
their main results, as well as some progress in forensic genetics and the perspectives
to genomic studies of the Atlantic Goliath Grouper.
Considering that some basic information about the phylogeny, diversity and connectivity of the populations are essential for species conservation programs, studies
focusing on these aspects can be a good starting point for obtaining knowledge
about the real conservation status of fish stocks.
Currently, several molecular tools are available for this purpose. We can highlight mitochondrial and nuclear markers that have been widely applied in conservation genetic studies, and that with the advent of the genomic and new technologies
started to be called “traditional markers”.
The first molecular study involving the genus Epinephelus had a phylogenetic
focus. Craig et al. (2001) provided evidence for a monophyletic Epinephelinae and
a paraphyletic Cephalopholis and Epinephelus, and suggested that the evaluated
grouper lineages were not limited to biogeographical provinces. This study used
mitochondrial DNA sequences of the16S ribosomal DNA region, but based on a
limited number of taxa. Aiming to expand it, a new research using more markers
and species was performed (Craig and Hastings 2007). In this one, two nuclear and
two mitochondrial genes from 155 species of serranids and other acanthomorphs
were evaluated. The authors showed Serranidae as polyphyletic and demonstrated
the paraphyly of the genera Cephalopholis, Epinephelus, and Mycteroperca.
Until 2008, data on genetic diversity and population structure of Epinephelus
were available only for: hawaiian grouper, E. quernus (Rivera et al. 2004); red grouper, E. morio (Zatcoff et al. 2004); E. marginatus (Maggio et al. 2006); and E.
labriformis (Craig and Hastings 2007).
Silva-Oliveira et al. (2008) presented the first data about diversity and population
connectivity for Atlantic Goliath Grouper. In this study, 116 individuals from the
Northern Brazilian coast were evaluated, using 499 bp of the mtDNA control region
(D-loop) from five localities (Bragança and Ajuruteua, in the state of Pará; Parnaiba,
in the state of Piauí; Fortaleza, in the state of Ceará; and Natal, in the state of Rio
M. Hostim-Silva et al.