High genetic diversity and low-population differentiation in the Patagonian sprat (Sprattus fuegensis) based on mitochondrial DNA.

The Patagonian sprat, Sprattus fuegensis, is a small pelagic marine fish that inhabits the continental shelf along the coasts of Chilean Patagonian and Argentina, a distribution that was highly impacted during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). In order to identify how the LGM played a role on the current observed genetic diversity and population structure of S. fuegensis, we analyzed 1438 nucleotide positions from the control region of 335 individuals collected at 12 sites across its distribution. Genetic diversity and differentiation indices were calculated to identify population structure, and a Bayesian skyride plot (BSRP) reconstruction was carried out to infer the historic population dynamics. Extremely high genetic diversity was found at all locations analyzed, non-population structure was found across its distribution, and the BSRP showed two increases in effective population size over time. Our outcomes suggest that the current genetic diversity, population structure and population expansion may have occurred during the medium and late Pleistocene.