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Genetic diversity, spatial connectivity, and population structure of Asian silurid catfish Wallago attu (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) in the Ganga River System: insights from mitochondrial DNA analysis

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Abstract

Background

The Ganga River System (GRS) is a biodiversity hotspot, its ecological richness is shaped by a complex geological history. In this study, we examined the genetic diversity, spatial connectivity, and population structure of the Asian Silurid catfish, Wallago attu, across seven tributaries of the GRS.

Methods and results

We employed three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) regions: cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COXI), cytochrome b (Cyt b), and control region (CR). Our comprehensive dataset encompassed 2420 bp of mtDNA, derived from 176 W. attu individuals across 19 sampling sites within the seven rivers of GRS. Our findings revealed high gene diversity (Hd:0.99) within W. attu populations. Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) highlighted that maximum genetic variations were attributed within the populations, and the observed genetic differentiation among the seven populations of W. attu ranged from low to moderate. Network analysis uncovered the presence of three distinct genetic clades, showing no specific association with seven studied rivers. Bayesian skyline plots provided insights into the demographic history of W. attu, suggesting a recent population expansion estimated to have occurred approximately 0.04 million years ago (mya) during the Pleistocene epoch.

Conclusions

These results significantly enhance our understanding of the genetic diversity and spatial connectivity of W. attu, serving as a vital foundation for developing informed conservation strategies and the sustainable management of this economically valuable resource within the Ganga River System.

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Data availability

The newly generated sequences have been deposited in GenBank under accession numbers OR945533-OR945708 for the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I; OR943701-OR943876 for cytochrome b gene and OR943877-OR944052 for the control region and other details are presented in the Supplementary Table ST1.

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Acknowledgements

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Shri G. Ashok Kumar, Director General (DG) of NMCG, along with Mr. Rajiv Ranjan Mishra and Mr. Upendra Prasad Singh, Former DGs of NMCG, and their dedicated team for their invaluable support and funding. We would also like to express our appreciation to the Chief Wildlife Warden of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand for their assistance in providing research permits. We acknowledge the support and help provided by the Director, Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in the successful completion of this research. We thank to Dr. J. Antony Johnson, Scientist-F at WII, for his insightful comments and dedicated efforts to enhance the quality of our manuscript. We appreciate the help of Ms. Aishwarya Ramachandran in map preparation, Mr. Madhanraj, Wildlife Forensic and Conservation Genetic Cell and Ms. Maneesha Bhatt for their support. Furthermore, we are grateful for the collaborative efforts of the NMCG-WII team whose assistance during the study greatly contributed to the accomplishment of our study objectives.

Funding

This study was conducted as part of the project “Planning & Management for Aquatic Species Conservation and Maintenance of Ecosystem Services in the Ganga River Basin,” funded under reference number B-03/2015–16/1077/NMCG – NEW PROPOSAL by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun, P.O. Box # 18, Chandrabani, Uttarakhand, 248001, India

    Ajit Kumar, Naveen Negi, Neha Yadav, Ruchi Badola, Syed Ainul Hussain & Sandeep Kumar Gupta

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  1. Ajit Kumar
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  2. Naveen Negi
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  3. Neha Yadav
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Contributions

S.A.H. and R.B. conceived the project, raised funds, and reviewed/edited the paper. S.K.G. designed the methodology for the molecular study of the project, supervised, validated, and reviewed/edited the paper. A.K. designed the methodology, analyzed the data, and wrote the paper. A.K., N.N., and N.Y. collected samples, performed the laboratory work and generated the data. All authors agreed and approved the final paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandeep Kumar Gupta.

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Ethical approval

Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (Letter No. WII/IAEC/2017-18) approved the sampling protocols and has no objection to carrying out the research.

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The authors declare that they have no competing financial/personal interests.

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Kumar, A., Negi, N., Yadav, N. et al. Genetic diversity, spatial connectivity, and population structure of Asian silurid catfish Wallago attu (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) in the Ganga River System: insights from mitochondrial DNA analysis. Mol Biol Rep 51, 378 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-024-09323-w

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