Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [72]-82).

by Ka-ling Chan. / Thesis (M. Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1981. / Bibliography: leaves 248-269.

An almost unbroken fringing reef runs along the east coast of Africa, the lagoon inside the reef is the foundation of almost all artisanal fisheries. It is a low-tech fishery conducted by many people. Some areas can have up to 19 fishermen per square kilometer. High fishing pressures, coupled with declining fish stocks has led to changes in mean size and reproductive age of many exploited species. There is a vital and urgent need for scientifically based management systems, including the utilization of genetic information to guide management practices. This thesis aims to investigate the presence of genetic structures in the western Indian Ocean. In order to do that we first investigated the historical patterns of connectivity throughout the region (paper I). In papers II and III we focused on local scale connectivity in Kenya and Tanzania and finally in paper IV we investigate the large-scale contemporary gene flow throughout the Western Indian Ocean. In paper III we also investigate the temporal genetic variation at one site and compare it to the small-scale genetic variation along a stretch of the Kenyan coastline. Some overall conclusions that can be drawn from my body of work are: there are genetic structures present in the western Indian Ocean even though the apparent lack of physical barriers. Major oceanic currents aid evolutionary dispersal patterns. A single geographic site need not be genetically homogenous or temporally stable. Island sites are genetically more homogenous than mainland sites. In conclusion, there are clear and distinct genetic structures present especially in Siganus sutor, the most targeted fish for the artisanal fishery in East Africa. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript.</p>

Le picot rayé Siganus lineatus dispose de nombreux atouts pour son aquaculture, motivant la société Aqualagon à entreprendre sa domestication en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Aujourd’hui, elle cherche à pérenniser sa production en supprimant les variabilités de l’élevage larvaire par une meilleure gestion de ses géniteurs, tout en faisant face à un manque de connaissance sur ce poisson. L’objectif de cette thèse a alors été d’acquérir des informations précises sur la biologie de S. lineatus en (1) déterminant les principaux paramètres régulant sa reproduction et (2) les caractéristiques trophiques selon son cycle de vie dans le contexte environnementale de la Nouvelle-Calédonie. / The golden-lined rabbitfish Siganus lineatus has many assets for its aquaculture, motivating the company Aqualagon to undertake domestication in New Caledonia. Today, Aqualagon seeks to perpetuate its production by eliminating the larval rearing variabilities through a better broodstock management, while facing a lack knowledge on this fish. The purpose of this thesis was then to acquire accurate information on the biology of S. lineatus by (1) determining the main parameters regulating its reproduction and (2) the trophic characteristics of its life cycle according to the environmental context of New Caledonia.