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Trout (Salmo trutta) mitochondrial DNA polymorphism in the centre of the marble trout distribution area

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Abstract

The marble trout, a lineage of the Salmo trutta complex, is endemic to the Southern Alpine region. Although it is endangered throughout its entire distribution range, population genetic data were lacking for the central area, including the upper Etsch/Adige River system (South Tyrol, Northern Italy). A total of 672 Salmo trutta specimens, comprising phenotypic marble trout and phenotypic brown trout, from 20 sampling sites throughout South Tyrol were analysed by sequencing the complete mitochondrial DNA control region. Thirteen distinct haplotypes were identified, which clustered within three major genetic lineages: the Marmoratus (MA), the Atlantic (AT) and the Danubian (DA) lineage. 41.7% of the investigated individuals carried haplotypes of the MA lineage, 47.9% of the AT lineage and 10.4% of the DA lineage. It is noticeable that AT haplotypes were present at all sampling sites and no “pure” marble trout population with exclusively MA haplotypes was found. This points to a considerable impact of stocking with allochthonous brown trout, given that there is no evidence for natural colonisation by individuals of the AT lineage. However, our data indicate, for at least four localities, a limited gene flow between the native marble trout and hatchery-reared strains. Future conservation and rehabilitation measures will thus have to concentrate on the identification of remnant pure marble trout individuals from such mixed populations.

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Acknowledgements

The present work is part of the project “Trout-Examinvest” that was funded by the European Union under its Interreg IIIA programme between Italy and Austria, and the Governments of South Tyrol (Italy) and Tyrol (Austria). The authors would like to thank the head and the collaborators of the Fisheries Office of the Autonomous Province of Bozen/Bolzano, especially H. Erhard and H. Grund for their assistance during sampling activities, and A. Snoj from the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) for providing us with DNA-extracts of Slovenian marble trout samples.

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  1. Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Laimburg, 39040, Auer/Ora (BZ), Italy

    Andreas Meraner, Sanja Baric & Josef Dalla Via

  2. Institute of Zoology, University of Innsbruck, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Bernd Pelster

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  1. Andreas Meraner
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  2. Sanja Baric
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  4. Josef Dalla Via
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Correspondence to Sanja Baric.

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Meraner, A., Baric, S., Pelster, B. et al. Trout (Salmo trutta) mitochondrial DNA polymorphism in the centre of the marble trout distribution area. Hydrobiologia 579, 337–349 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0479-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0479-3

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