Phylogeography of a freshwater sculpin, Cottus nozawae, from the northeastern part of Honshu Island, Japan

Abstract

 The fluvial sculpin, Cottus nozawae, is a coldwater-adapted fish distributed in Hokkaido Island and the northeastern part of Honshu Island (Tohoku District), Japan. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequencing was used to investigate the geographic distribution of genetic variation and phylogeography of C. nozawae. Most populations possessed unique haplotypes, few being shared across river systems. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences of the mtDNA control region and adjacent regions of C. nozawae revealed three distinct phylogenetic groups that differed by 3.05% to 3.11%, corresponding to distinct geographic regions, Hokkaido Island, northern Tohoku District, and Yamagata Prefecture (southwestern Tohoku District), respectively. The divergence times of three groups were estimated to be about 1.5 million years ago by applying a general rate for mtDNA, suggesting that the divergence among them might have occurred in the early Pleistocene. Divergence among the haplotypes within the group from the northern Tohoku District was also high (1.84%), no haplotypes being shared by local populations in different river systems in this region. Local populations from a single river system in this region comprise a distinct lineage that differed from other river systems. Such genetically divergent population structures among the different regions and river systems are considered to have resulted mainly from long-term isolation and restricted gene flow among river systems, probably promoted by the fluvial benthic life history and low dispersal ability of this species.