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Comparative Phylogeography Of The Emperor Snappers Lethrinus Lentjan And Lethrinus Harak (Lethrinidae: Percoidei) In The Coral Triangle, Andrew B. Hines

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Many questions remain regarding the origins of the well-known peak in marine biodiversity found in the Coral Triangle. Barriers to gene flow may promote lineage diversification and provide the potential for speciation contributing to the high biodiversity in this area. Population structure was examined in two species of Emperor Snappers (Lethrinidae), Lethrinus harak and Lethrinus lentjan. These species were selected because they share similar life-history traits and geographic distributions, but differ in their habitat preferences. Specimens were collected from within the Coral Triangle as well as other localities across the Indo-Pacific. To investigate phylogeographic patterns and structure a hypervariable …