AUTHOR=Lim Kah Kheng , Rossbach Susann , Geraldi Nathan R. , Serrão Ester A. , Duarte Carlos M. 

TITLE=Phylogeographic Analysis Suggests a Recent Population Bottleneck in the Rare Red Sea Tridacna squamosina

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.628142

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2021.628142

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=<p>Giant clams are an important ecological component of coral reefs in the Red Sea, as they enhance the reef’s productivity and provide habitat that can increase diversity. Three species of giant clams, namely <italic>Tridacna maxima</italic>, <italic>T. squamosa</italic>, and <italic>T. squamosina</italic> have been described within the Red Sea. However, due to its scarcity, information about the distribution and ecology of <italic>T. squamosina</italic> in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea is still lacking. This study used DNA barcoding to confirm the identity of the rare <italic>T. squamosina</italic> in the Farasan Banks. Six mtCOI fragments (500 bp) of <italic>T. squamosina</italic> were successfully amplified using the SQUA-primers for the first time. We used our data along with 18 reference sequences (16S) from the online database to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of <italic>T. squamosina</italic>. Low genetic diversity among the <italic>T. squamosina</italic> populations inferred from the 16S sequences implies a recent bottleneck for this species, which is supported by their historically higher diversity based on the coalescent-based estimator. Given the small population abundance and limited genetic variation of <italic>T. squamosina</italic>, it may warrant immediate local protections such as biobanking and fertility preservation programs as well as effective integrated coastal zone management plans.</p>