RAD-Seq-derived SNPs reveal no local population structure in the commercially important deep-sea queen snapper (Etelis oculatus) in Puerto Rico.

The queen snapper (Etelis oculatus Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1828) is a deep-sea snapper whose commercial importance continues to increase in the US Caribbean. However, little is known about the biology and ecology of this species. In this study, the presence of a fine-scale population structure and genetic diversity of queen snapper from Puerto Rico was assessed through 16,188 SNPs derived from the Restriction site Associated DNA Sequencing (RAD-Seq) technique. Summary statistics estimated low genetic diversity (HO = 0.333-0.264) and did not reveal population differentiation within our samples (F _ST = - 0.001-0.025). Principal component analysis and a model-based clustering method did not detect a fine-scale subpopulation structure among sampling sites, however, there was genetic variability within regions and sites. Our results have revealed comparable genetic and dispersal patterns to those observed in other shallow-water snapper species in Puerto Rico waters. It is crucial to further enhance our understanding of the ecological and biological aspect of the queen snapper to effectively manage and conserve this species as fishing pressure has been extended to deep water species in the US Caribbean.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-025-00289-7.