Genetic Variation and Population Structure of Lingcod

We analyzed allozymes from 13 collections of lingcod Ophiodon elongatus representing over 1,100 individuals throughout most of the speciesˈ range from Alaska to central California. Data were gathered from 41 presumptive gene loci of which 19 loci (46%) were polymorphic (P0.99 criterion, whereby the frequency of the most common allele is 0.99 or less in at least one collection). Average observed heterozygosity was 0.050 (SE, 0.001). Significant differences in genotype frequencies were found between sexes at the AH‐2* locus for aconitate hydratase. Although lingcod populations are genetically similar throughout the range, significant allele frequency differences suggest that lingcod in Puget Sound are partially isolated from those along the open coast.