High levels of genetic diversity and connectivity of whitespotted conger Conger myriaster in the East China Coast

Genetic diversity and population structure are fundamental to studying population dynamics and understanding demographic history, playing a key role in marine organism conservation. To study the genetic diversity and population structure of whitespotted conger Conger myriaster, an important commercial marine species, broadly distributed in Asia, a total of 197 individuals were collected from six locations along the East China Coast. Around 655 bp sequence of mitochondrial control region was used to assess the genetic diversity, population differentiation, and demographic history of C. myriaster populations. A high level of haplotype diversity was detected. No significant population structure was observed by using analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), consistent with the results of discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) and Mantel tests. Bayesian phylogenetic tree revealed three distinct lineages, which diverged during the Pleistocene. Mismatch and Bayesian skyline analyses supported that all geographical populations as well as three evolutionary lineages had experienced demographic expansions. This genetic assessment would give an important contribution to revealing the interaction between phylogeographic history and demographic history and future utilization and conservation of this species.