Genetic variations and expansion of whiskered velvet shrimp (Metapenaeopsis barbata) off China and Taiwan inferred from intron sequence

Sequence analyses on the intron from the elongation factor-1α gene were conducted to examine the population structure and historical demography of whiskered velvet shrimp (Metapenaeopsis barbata) off China and Taiwan. Five samples including 155 individuals were separately collected from the north of East China Sea (ECS), waters off Taichung (TC), Cheding (CD), Xiamen (XM) and Hongkong (HK) and 41 alleles were identified. All F_ST values between five samples were significant except the pair of TC-CD. Neighbor-joining tree and network of 41 alleles showed no significant genealogical structure. UPGMA tree of five sampling areas showed three distinct groups. One included the NECS; another contained TC and CD; the other included HK and XM. Both Tajima's D and Fu's F statistics and analysis of mismatch distribution for overall alleles suggested that this species in studied areas had experienced population expansion.