Genomic mechanisms of life history divergence shaped by demography and selection in the yellowtail kingfish species complex.

Authors

Stephan Francois Jenkins, Clint Rhode

Published in

Marine genomics. Volume 87. Pages 101265. Jul 17, 2026. Epub Jul 17, 2026.

Abstract

Yellowtail kingfish (Seriola spp.) are epipelagic teleosts with growing importance in global aquaculture. The species complex includes S. dorsalis in the Northeast Pacific, S. aureovittata in the Northwest Pacific, and S. lalandi comprising two distinct lineages in the South Pacific and Southern Africa. While the extent of their genetic divergence is well documented, the underlying genomic mechanisms and their functional relevance to life history variation remain poorly understood. A comparative genome analysis was therefore conducted, incorporating an assembled chromosome-level reference genome for the South African S. lalandi (678.3 Mb, 21,796 protein-coding genes, 27.0% repetitive elements). Demographic reconstructions suggest that South Africa served as a climate refugium during the Pleistocene, contributing to the retention of an ancestral genomic architecture that supports an active pelagic lifestyle. Similarly, the S. aureovittata genome from China retained several genes associated with sustained locomotion, but experienced an increase in the count of chromosomal rearrangements that may be attributed to population contractions during the Last Glacial Period. In contrast, the Australian S. lalandi and particularly the Californian S. dorsalis showed increased gene family turnover, suggesting greater ecological divergence. Signatures of selection in genes governing metabolic, immune, and developmental pathways suggest that divergence in life histories is influenced by contrasting thermal and oxygen regimes, as well as pathogen pressures. These findings have broad implications for resource management, including crossbreeding potential and adaptive capacity under ongoing anthropogenic change.

PMID:
42468076
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 18 Jul 2026.

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