Liting Wang¹ , Liang Chen²

1 Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China
2 Center for Tropical Marine Fisheries Research, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resouces, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Marine Science, 2025, Vol. 15, No. 3   
Received: 20 Mar., 2025    Accepted: 22 Apr., 2025    Published: 25 May, 2025

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.

The genus Scomberomorus (mackerels) includes several important marine fish species of high economic value in global fisheries and aquaculture, particularly across Asia. However, due to the large number of species and their morphological similarity, traditional taxonomy has been ambiguous, hindering efforts in genetic improvement and resource conservation. In recent years, with the advancement of high-throughput sequencing technologies, phylogenetic studies have entered the "whole-genome era." This paper provides a comprehensive review of the latest developments in reconstructing the phylogeny of Scomberomorus, highlighting the application of whole-genome data in species classification, lineage delimitation, speciation mechanisms, and evolutionary timescales. Case studies on farmed populations in Asia are also discussed, evaluating the genetic structure of hatchery and released stocks relative to wild lineages, and proposing lineage-based population optimization strategies. Further analysis indicates that phylogenetic research contributes not only to the identification of genetic resources and resistance traits but also offers scientific support for molecular breeding, broodstock selection, and genetic improvement. The paper concludes by recommending expanded global sampling, multi-omics integration, and the application of phylogenetic findings in aquaculture management, aiming to bridge foundational evolutionary research with practical breeding applications.

Scomberomorus; Phylogeny; Whole-genome data; Genetic structure; Aquaculture breeding