Taxonomy and population connectivity of commercially important Sardinella in the Philippines

• Main Authors: Thomas, Rey C., Chavez, Joel M.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2018
• Subjects: Sardinella—Philippines; Sardinella—Philippines —Classification; Biology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/11195
• Institution: De La Salle University

Managing highly migratory fishes such as sardines pose a substantial challenge to :fisheries managers. Despite decades of research, there is a relative scarcity of information on the number of populations or stocks within sardines. Inaccurate estimates on life history traits such as migration and spawning results from inadequate knowledge in fish stock structure. In addition, numerous synonyms within species complicate the taxonomy of sardines, resulting in ambiguous species identity and fuqher impeding efforts to assess stock structure. The application of molecular genetics for stock,4elineation and species identification is an effective way to overcome the pitfalls of morphological and biological methods. Further, the use of multiple species in comparative phylogeography provides a powerful tool for identifying key areas for conservation. Here, we utilized molecular methods to determine and contrast the stock structure in the two most landed sardines, Sardinella lemuru and Sardinella gibbosa. Our results identify unique stock structure for each fish and highlight the importance of developing management strategies inclusive of mixed-species fisheries.