Genetic diversities of commercially harvested jellyfish, Rhopilema hispidum and Lobonemoides robustus in Southeast Asia

The rhizostome jellyfishes, Rhopilema hispidum and Lobonemoides robustus, are two of the most abundant and commercially important species in Southeast Asia. However, information on genetic diversity and continuities among local populations remains totally unknown. We explored the genetic structure and population continuities of R. hispidum and L. robustus using genetic markers (COI & ITS1 regions) at 11 locations in four countries in Southeast Asia where fisheries were conducted. Rhopilema populations showed genetic distances (ΦST) among locations correlated positively with geographic distances, suggesting that they are in the isolation-by-distance (IBD). In Lobonemoides, molecular analysis revealed three distinct clades corresponding to sampling locations. Genetic distances among locations in L. robustus suggested that all populations maintain significant isolation. Our study reveals that these two blooming species have different phylogeographic patterns and differ in genetic diversity and continuities. Eustatic sea level changes during the Pleistocene and present ocean current systems, as well as differences in biological characteristics of these two species may explain these phylogeographic differences. Our results also suggest that jellyfish fisheries need to be carefully managed to avoid extinction of local populations and maintain the genetic diversity of these species, especially for L. robustus, which exhibits considerable genetic diversity in each location.