Bowen, Brian R.Lee, Anne M.2023-02-232023-02-232022https://hdl.handle.net/10125/104683Deepwater Etelis snappers economically and culturally support fisheries in Hawai’i and throughout the Indo-Pacific. In Hawai’i, Etelis coruscans (“onaga”) and Etelis carbunculus (“ehu”) are the most abundantly harvested in the Deep 7 Bottomfish Complex, therefore it is important to understand genetic connectivity to make proper management implementations. In addition, understanding their origins will provide further information on how to ensure sustainable stocks within Hawai’i waters. Previous studies have shown that Johnston Atoll is the gateway for marine species to colonize the Hawaiian Archipelago. An alternative route is that marine species can colonize from the west, essentially Japan. To resolve population structure and the origin of the Hawaiian cohorts, we used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to assess E. coruscans (N = 59) and E. carbunculus (N = 55), sampled from Japan, Johnston Atoll (nearest habitat south of Hawai’i), the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI), and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Johnston Atoll samples were excluded from E. carbunculus. For both species, Japan was significantly differentiated with pairwise FST values for MHI and NWHI, and there was non-significant FST values between MHI and NWHI. Etelis coruscans showed no significant FST values between Johnston and MHI/NWHI. STRUCTURE plot of Etelis coruscans showed no genetic clustering, indicating larval exchange from both locations, Japan and Johnston Atoll. STRUCTURE plot of E. carbunculus showed clear population distinction between Japan and Hawaiian Islands, therefore we can tentatively suggest larval exchange between Johnston Atoll and Hawaiian population. To explore this idea further, future studies should focus sampling effort on Johnston to accurately make this suggestion. Management implications and strategies are needed to ensure long term sustainability of these populations of deepwater Etelis snappers. The indeterminate origin of the Hawaiian population may indicate that gene genealogies (i.e. phylogeography) are more appropriate than allele frequencies (SNPs) in resolving colonization routes.Etelis snappersSingle nucleotide polymorphismsFish populationsThesis