Résumé
Here we use molecular techniques to characterize the introduction of the blue-lined snapper Lutjanus kasmira (Lutjanidae) to the Hawaiian Islands. L. kasmira inhabits coral reefs throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans; however, it is not native to the Hawaiian archipelago. In the 1950's the Hawaii Division of Fish and Game introduced a total of 3,163 L. kasmira from Moorea and the Marquesas Islands to the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. Following their introduction, L. kasmira quickly spread throughout the archipelago at a rate of approximately 60 km/year. Analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b and 2 nuclear introns have shown little genetic structure across the Indo-Pacific range with the exception of the Marquesas Islands. This population is highly divergent from the rest of the Pacific and Indian Ocean populations. When comparing the two source populations we observe a 5.5% divergence in the mitochondrial control region and strong population structure in the nuclear genome (Fst = 0.49). Based on the high level of genetic divergence between the two source populations we have demonstrated that descendents of fish from both Moorea and the Marquesas are present throughout the archipelago and have colonized with seemingly equal success. We found no indication of a loss of genetic diversity either during the initial introduction or during the subsequent spread and establishment of this species