Oral Presentation Australian Society for Fish Biology Conference 2025

Bridging Genomic Gaps: SNP-Driven insights into jackass morwong stock structure around Southeastern Australian waters (122074)

Olivia J Wilks 1 , Karen Evans 2 , Sharon Appleyard 3 , Madeline Green 1
  1. Fisheries and Aquaculture , Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, Hobart, Tas, Australia
  2. Head of Section , UNESCO Ocean , Paris, France
  3. Director Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO, Hobart, Tas, Australia

Recent evaluations of the biological parameters used in primary stock assessments for commercial Tier 1 species in Commonwealth fisheries have revealed that over 50% of those species in the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF) rely on data that are more than 20 years old (FRDC project 2019-2020, Evans et al. 2022). Among the uncertainties found, the population structuring of jackass morwong (Nemadactylus macropterus) was highlighted as a critical gap. This project aimed to resolve uncertainties by leveraging advancements in genomic technologies, specifically Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) genotyping to provide updated insights into the species' genomic population structure, revising the last major evaluation conducted in 1994 (Elliott & Ward 1994). The current study investigated latitudinal and temporal structuring of N. macropterus within the SESSF by analysing samples collected during the Southeast Australia Marine Ecosystem Study (SEA_MES) voyages (2023-2024) and examining their genomic structure. The findings of this project enabled the testing of population structuring within the fishery. Incorporating these insights into management strategies could enhance the accuracy of stock assessments and contribute to the long-term recovery and sustainability of Australian stocks of N. macropterus.

  1. Elliott, N. G., & Ward, R. D. (1994). Enzyme Variation in Jackass Morwong, Nemadactylus macropterus (Schneider, 1801) (Teleostei : Cheilodactylidae), from Australian and New Zealand Waters. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 45, 51-67.
  2. Evans, K., Fulton, E. A., Bulman, C., Day, J., Appleyard, S., Farley, J., Williams, A., & Zhou, S. (2022). Revisiting biological parameters and information used in the assessment of Commonwealth fisheries: a reality check and work plan for future proofing. Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.