Tarbiat Modares University (TMU) ECOPERSIA 2322-2700 14 2 2026 03 01 Population Structure of the Mudskipper Boleophthalmus dussumieri (Valenciennes, 1837) in the Northern Persian Gulf, Iran 133 143 28324 10.48311/ecopersia.2026.117410.82862 EN Behzad Moein Department of Marine Environmental Science, Faculty of Marine Natural Resource, Khorramshahr University of Marine Science And Technology, Iran Olyagholi Khalilipour Asistant Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Marine Natural Resource, Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Khorramshahr, Iran Hossein Zolgharnein Department of Marine Biotechnology, Faculty of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Khorramshahr University of Marine Science And Technology, Iran Journal Article 2025 11 06 <strong>Aims:</strong> This research examined the genetic structure of the Mudskipper Boleophthalmus dussumieri across three key intertidal zones in the north of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea, Iran.<br><strong>Materials & Methods:</strong> Genetic analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene in 28 samples (25 contemporary and 3 archived) from four regions evaluated diversity and structure using haplotype and nucleotide diversity indices, AMOVA, ΦST, and haplotype networks.<br><strong>Finding: </strong>A total of 21 haplotypes were identified from 28 individuals. Overall haplotype diversity was high (Hd = 0.942), and nucleotide diversity was moderate (π = 0.013). A hierarchical analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed significant genetic structuring among the three B. dussumieri populations surveyed. The analysis indicated that 27.87% of the total genetic variation was partitioned among populations, while the remaining 72.16% was found within populations. The overall fixation index (ΦST) was 0.72, a statistically significant value (p < 0.001), confirming high and definitive genetic differentiation across the sampling region. <br><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The results show a clear population-genetic pattern, marked by distinct differences between the Goban and Makran populations. In contrast, the Delvar and Khorabi populations form a single, genetically uniform cluster. These patterns align with a model of recent demographic expansion from a common ancestral source, followed by initial genetic divergence. This differentiation is influenced by current barriers to gene flow and the species’ limited dispersal ability. https://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article_28324_8ade27a7849e2e133bc29dc386104bd5.pdf