There is accumulating evidence that the degree of vagility explains little of the extent of population subdivision found within elasmobranch species. Instead, patterns of gene flow in elasmobranchs appear more closely linked to the presence of dispersal barriers, either physical or biological. Here, we investigate the potential role of some of these isolating mechanisms in shaping the populatio...

Abstract A diagnostic characteristic of stingrays in the family Dasyatidae is presence a defensive, partially serrated spine located on tail. We assessed contribution caudal morphology puncture and withdrawal performance from two congeneric, co-occurring stingrays, Atlantic stingray, Hypanus sabinus, bluntnose say. Spines exhibited high degree morphological variability. Stingray spines were alo...

The mottled skate, Raja pulchra, is an economically valuable fish. However, due to a severe population decline, it is listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. To analyze its genetic structure and diversity, microsatellite markers were developed using 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 17,033 reads containing dinucleotide microsatellite repeat units (mean...