A population genetic study of haddock (itMelanogrammus aeglefinus) in northeast Atlantic waters based on isozyme data

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Abstract
The genetic population structure of haddock in Northeast Atlantic waters was studied using polymorphic isozyme Ioci as genetic markers. 3459 specimens from 38 locations were submitted to electrophoresis and genotyped at eight polymorphic isozyme loci. Allele frequency analysis gave no clear indications of a genetic subdivision in the species within the Northeast Atlantic, but some geographic trends were seen: Haddock from Icelandic waters differed somewhat at one locus. The allele frequency differences between the Icelandic sample and the other samples were however small, and large samples, which provide increased statistical power, seem to be necessary in order to enable population discrimination. A tendency of genetic “isolation by distance” was observed in haddock collected in Norwegian fjord and coastal waters. No evidence of genetically distinct haddock stocks was found in any of the represented Norwegian fjords. The genetically most cleviatmg sample in the study was collected in the Barents Sea. However, small sample size and hence uncertainty in the allele frequency estimates prohibited firm conclusions on a distinct haddock population in the north.