International Journal of Marine Science, 2025, Vol.15, No.2, 53-64 http://www.aquapublisher.com/index.php/ijms 53 Review and Progress Open Access Genomic Evolution and Key Drivers of Species Diversifcation in Groupers XumingLü 1,ManmanLi 2 1 Institute of Life Science, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China 2 Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China Corresponding author: manman.li@hitar.org International Journal of Marine Science, 2025, Vol.15, No.2, doi: 10.5376/ijms.2025.15.0006 Received: 16 Jan., 2025 Accepted: 22 Feb., 2025 Published: 08 Mar., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Lü and Li, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Lü X.M., and Li M.M., 2025, Genomic evolution and key drivers of species diversifcation in groupers, International Journal of Marine Science, 15(2): 53-64 (doi: 10.5376/ijms.2025.15.0006) Abstract This study reviews the key factors in the genome evolution and species diversity formation of groupers (Epinephelus coioides coioides). Groupers are important coral reef fish with rich species diversity, and the genome plays an important role in their adaptive evolution, speciation, and ecological adaptability. By integrating the research results of genomics, phylogenetics, and population genetics, this paper explores the biological factors that affect the genome structure and species diversity formation of groupers, such as gene flow, geographic isolation, ecological differentiation, and reproductive isolation. In addition, it discusses how factors such as climate change, geological events, and genomic selection drive the diversification of groupers. Through the analysis of the genome evolution of groupers, the study reveals the mechanism of adaptive evolution and provides a theoretical basis for future conservation and fishery management. Keywords Grouper; Genome evolution; Species diversity; Adaptive evolution; Gene flow 1 Introduction Groupers belong to the family Epinephelus coioides coioides, which are common fish species in coral reefs, with 16 genera and more than 160 species. They play a very important role in maintaining the balance of coral reef ecosystems. Groupers also have high economic value due to their important position in global commercial fisheries and aquaculture (Qu et al., 2017; Yang et al., 2021; Cao et al., 2022). These fish have complex social structures and special reproduction methods, and they are distributed in tropical and subtropical oceans, which makes them very important both ecologically and economically (Chen et al., 2025). Species of the family Epinephelus coioides coioides stand out in terms of biodiversity, and they are distributed in major marine areas around the world, including the Indo-Pacific, Atlantic, and Caribbean Seas. Studies have shown that groupers originated in the middle Eocene and then differentiated into six major evolutionary clades, each with different geographical origins and evolutionary histories (Ma et al., 2016). The Indo-Australian Archipelago and the Caribbean are the survival centers and species-rich areas of groupers, while marginal areas with less coral resources have become the source of grouper diversity. Groupers are rich in genetic diversity and there is much evidence of hybridization, which makes the biodiversity of groupers more complex (Qu et al., 2017; Chen et al., 2025). In this study, we mainly summarize the current knowledge about the evolution of the grouper genome and analyze the factors that drive its species diversification. The study combines the latest research results in genome sequencing, phylogenetics, and population genetics to explore the genome structure and evolutionary history of groupers. We also pay special attention to the genomic characteristics and adaptive characteristics of groupers. In addition, we will also study the impact of geological events, climate change, gene flow, and ecological factors on the genetic diversity of groupers. Through this study, we hope to find out the genetic and environmental factors that affect the species formation, adaptability, and maintenance of high biodiversity of groupers. Finally, I hope this article can show you a clearer picture of the evolution of groupers and provide a reference for future research and conservation work.
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