![]() ![]() While apparently straightforward, the genetics of bioinvasions are counterintuitive (Dlugosch and Parker 2008), as shown by empirical studies that oppose general predictions (Chiesa et al. For example, the recent explosion of lionfishes in the Caribbean is a spectacular illustration of the devastating effects of biological invasions (Betancur et al. Introductions may result from the transport of few individuals to a new location where they thrive, in part due to being released from predation, competition and parasitic load pressures (Baker and Stebbins 1965 Sax et al. Particularly, population genetics and phylogenetics are increasingly used to investigate some key aspects of biological invasions, such as the dynamic patterns of genetic diversity and evolutionary processes in real time (Dlugosch and Parker 2008 Blackwell et al. 2015), especially in the last few years with the use of genomic approaches (Bernardi et al. Over the last decades, molecular techniques have provided important innovation in the field of invasion biology (Rius et al. The presence of genes under selection in populations near the Suez Canal supports the idea that selection may be active and essential for successful invasions right out of the gate. diaspros) gene flow, loci under selection were uncovered, and some protein coding genes were identified as being involved with osmoregulation, which seems to be an important feature of individuals crossing the salinity-variable Suez Canal. In addition, we report that in the face of both high ( S. We discuss differences in ecological characteristics between the two species to account for such differences. diaspros, even at such small spatial scale. rivulatus and strong population structure in S. Results illustrate two divergent patterns of genetic patterns, with little genetic structure in S. In this study, by sampling two invasive fishes with different life histories (the rabbitfish Siganus rivulatus and the filefish Stephanolepis diaspros), we looked at evidence of population structure and selection at the boundary between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean (the Suez Canal), using thousands of molecular markers. Yet notable exceptions suggest the importance of life-history factors that may influence patterns of spatial genetic variation. In general, genetic studies of Lessepsian fishes have shown little structure between Red Sea and Mediterranean populations. Marine organisms that enter the Mediterranean from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal are known as Lessepsian bioinvaders.
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