Research Article | 22 Aug 2022

The first study of genetic diversity and population structure of Indo- Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) and pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) in the Thai Andaman Sea based on ISSR

Promporn Piboon1, Anocha Poommouang1, Kittisak Buddhachat2,3, Patcharaporn Kaewmong4, Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong4, and Korakot Nganvongpanit1,2Show more
VETERINARY WORLD | pg no. 2004-2011 | Vol. 15, Issue 8 | DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2022.2004-2011
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Abstract

          
Background and Aim: The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops aduncus, and the pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata, are protected marine mammals in Thailand; however, knowledge regarding the populations of both species in Thai seas is minimal. We aimed to reveal the genetic diversity and population structure of two species, T. aduncus, and S. attenuata, based on inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs).
Materials and Methods: Samples of stranded T. aduncus (n = 30) and S. attenuata (n = 23) found along Thai Andaman Sea coasts from 1998 to 2018 were used in this study. A total of 17 and 16 ISSR primers that produced clear and polymorphic bands were selected for T. aduncus and S. attenuata, respectively.
Results: The highest percentages of polymorphic bands for T. aduncus and S. attenuata were 93.750% and 92.857%, respectively. Phylogenetic dendrograms indicated that the population of each species was clustered into three groups. This outcome was consistent with the genetic population structure, as both suggested three genetic clusters (ΔK = 3). Genetic diversity analysis revealed that the average Shannon's information index (I) was 1.926 ± 0.066 for T. aduncus and 1.714 ± 0.090 for S. attenuata, which indicate a high level of genetic variation. Further, low fixation index (F) values were observed for T. aduncus and S. attenuata at –0.231 ± 0.024 and –0.312 ± 0.042, respectively, suggesting that inbreeding is unlikely to have occurred for both species over the past decades.
Conclusion: At least three genetic clusters of both species were found in the Thai Andaman Sea, and the diversity indices of each species indicated that these species are not at a critical level for extinction. However, monitoring their population status should be prioritized to observe any future changes in the level of diversity. Keywords: cetaceans, diversity, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, pantropical spotted dolphin, population structure.
          
Keywords: cetaceans, diversity, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, pantropical spotted dolphin, population structure.