The lobster Scyllarides latus (‘langosta canaria’) is a beautiful creature hard to find in any area across its distribution range; overfishing has caused a dramatic reduction of their populations. Yet, a few individuals can still be spot in some secret places of the Canaries. In a recent paper leaded by colleagues from CIIMAR & CIBIO (Porto, Portugal), we have demonstrated that this species has a similar genetic structure across the Mediterranean and the eastern Atlantic, what is called ‘panmixia’. Hence, populations seem to be connected, even 1000s of km away, through the large larval dispersion of this crustacean. This result is worth from a fisheries perspective, as an international enforcement is necessary to guarantee its conservation. Download the paper from the article section.
