The genetic diversity and differentiation of shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis in the Yellow Sea revealed by polymorphism in control region of mitochondrial DNA

Chinese white shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis is a commercially important species in northern China and Korea. In the present study, the genetic diversity of five populations collected from Qingdao (QD), Rizhao (RZ) of China, and Narodo Island (KN), Taean (KT), Yeongguang (KY) of Korea in the Yellow Sea was investigated using the mitochondrial control region (CR). The length of the amplified partial mitochondrial control region (mtCR) ranged from 600 to 622 bp, and the sequence variations were distributed among 13 polymorphic sites. The pattern of nucleotide substitution was biased in favour of transitions over transversions in variable sites, including 12 transitions (si, 4 A↔G and 8 T↔C changes) and only one was transversion (sv, 1 T↔G changes). Altogether, 24 unique haplotypes were identified from five populations in Yellow Sea. The overall haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity were 0.368 0.421 and 0.052 0.079, respectively, and the lowest genetic diversity was found in QD population. There was no differentiation between the two Chinese populations (FST = 0.039). Within the Korean populations, there was a slight differentiation (FST = 0.075, p < 0.05) between KN and KT. The relative bigger differentiation was shown between RZ and KN population (FST = 0.170, p < 0.05). The relative further genetic distance was shown between RZ and KN population as well as between QD and KN population, while the relative closer genetic distance was shown between KT and KY, and between KT and RZ population. The low variability in the mitochondrial control region among F. chinensis in the Yellow Sea indicated the low genetic diversity in comparison to other shrimp species. The results suggested a slight population differentiation among F. chinensis populations. Such information will assist in sustainable use, management, and conservation of the species.