GENETIC DIVERSITY OF SOME SOLEA SOLEA ATLANTO-

MEDITERRANEAN POPULATIONS USING

ALLOZYMES AND EPIC-PCR MARKERSKHALED OUANES, LILIA BAHRI-SFAR, MYRIAM

KAOUECHE, MALEK HAFFANI, FRANCOIS BONHOMME & OUM KALTHOUM BEN HASSINE

E-mail: kouanes@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION

The Mediterranean has some “special” features such as:- A succession of geological and climatic complex events- A complex faunistic history-Transition Zones (Atlantic - the Western Mediterranean; The Western Mediterranean - the

Eastern Mediterranean; The Eastern Mediterranean - Red Sea) representing considerable areas of exchanges which result in a significant biodiversity

During the last decades, the geological history of the Mediterranean Sea, its hydrography and connection with the Atlantic Ocean have been well studied. The Atlantic–Mediterranean transition remains controversial at the biological level as there are discordant results regarding the biogeographical separation between the Atlantic and Mediterranean biota.

The opening of the Strait of Gibraltar (some 5.33 million years ago), removed the land barriers that obstructed the marine biota allowing it to disperse freely into the Mediterranean Sea.

However, present day genetic patterns suggest a limitation to gene flow for some marine species. Mediterranean Fish taxa do not show a uniform phylogeographical pattern.

Extreme striking cases were documented of either total separation between Atlantic and Mediterranean populations or complete absence of population differentiation between Atlantic and Mediterranean samples.

In such context, we chose to analyze the spatial population structure of some Atlanto-Mediterranean populations of Solea solea to assess the existence of gene flux between these populations.

This study is even more interesting if we deem in the fact thatFlatfish species, and especially soles, constitute good candidates for aquaculture. This sector experiences a ceaseless development and expansion when it comes to zootechnical procedures / techniques and also the diversification of the cultivated species.

Biological Material

-Six Solea species exist along the Tunisian coasts.

- Solea solea is one of the most frequent sole species in Tunisia.

- It is present everywhere in the Mediterranean and lives along the eastern shores of the Atlantic.

- It is distinguished from the other Solea species thanks to the morphological aspect of its fins.

Solea solea

Sampling sites

# Sampling site Number of individuals

1 Pertuis (France) 7

2 Morocco (Atlantic) 31

3 Morocco (Mediterranean) 30

4 Tabarka 6

5 Bizerta lagoon 15

6 Ischkeul 10

7 Ghar El Melh 6

8 Goulette 31

9 Sfax 80

10 Gabes 29

11 Boughrara 30

12 Biban lagoon 15

Total 290

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