Subtle genetic population structure in Pacific halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis

Pacific halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis from 10 sampling locations throughout their range were investigated for signs of population structure. Two genetic data sets were created: (1) all individuals (n = 828) at few anonymous microsatellite markers (number of loci = 16); (2) fewer individuals (n = 435) genotyped at anonymous as well as expressed sequence-tag linked microsatellites (number of loci = 61). A combination of multidimensional scaling plots, discriminant analysis of principal components and pairwise differentiation estimates suggested that samples from the Aleutian Islands, particularly the western Aleutian Islands, were genetically distinct from samples collected in other regions. In addition, outlier analyses found that two markers linked to expressed sequence tags may be under directional selection and could explain the differentiation among samples. These results confirm findings from previous research and suggest that population structure may exist within a current management unit (i.e. International Pacific Halibut Commission Regulatory Area 4B).