Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Tyrrhenian basins of Ligury as a new peri-Mediterranean ichthyogeographic district? Population structure of Telestes muticellus (Osteichthyes, Cyprinidae), a primary freshwater fish

  • Primary research paper
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The phylogeographic structure of vairone (Telestes muticellus), a primary freshwater fish endangered in a large part of its distributional range, was assessed: (i) to reconstruct the complex dispersion pattern in the upper Tyrrhenian hydrographic basins of Ligury, actually not recognised as peri-Mediterranean ichthyogeographic district, and (ii) to evidence the shape of population genetic structure as useful tool for future conservation strategies. A partial fragment of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b (497 bp) was sequenced in 109 specimens sampled from eight populations, along an east–west geographic gradient. Fourteen haplotypes were identified, confirming the evolutionary distance between the two co-generic species: T. muticellus as ‘Ligurian’ clade and T. souffia as ‘French’ clade. The Nested Clade Analysis (NCA), the population genetic variability and population structure suggested a natural colonization occurred throughout the crossing of Alpine and Apennine watershed. The hierarchical Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) confirmed a geographic distinction between the populations from western (WTL) and from eastern (ETL) Tyrrhenian basins of Ligury colonised through the river capture processes along the Maritime Alpine watershed (Padano-Venetian district) and along the Apennine watershed (Tuscano-Latium district), respectively. Our results, evidencing the lack of genetic contiguity among vairone populations of the upper Tyrrhenian hydrographic basins of Ligury, allowed to recognise the presence of two management units (MUs) for its conservation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arbocco, G., 1966. I pesci d’acqua dolce della Liguria. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova 76: 137–171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Avise, J. C., 2000. Phylogeography. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Balma, G. A. C., P. G. Bianco & G. B. Delmastro, 1989. Specie ittiche d’acqua dolce alloctone ed autoctone nuove per il versante tirrenico della Liguria. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova 87: 311–318.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartolini, C. & G. Pranzino, 1988. Evoluzione dell’idrografia nella Toscana centro-settentrionale. Bollettino del Museo di Storia Naturale della Lunigiana 6–7: 79–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernachez, L. & C. Wilson, 1998. Comparative phylogeography of Neartic and Paleartic fishes. Molecular Ecology 7: 431–452.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bianco, P. G., 1987. L’inquadramento zoogeografico dei pesci d’acqua dolce d’Italia e problemi determinati dalle falsificazioni faunistiche. Atti II Conv. AIIAD, Biologia e Gestione dell’ittiofauna autoctona: 41–65.

  • Bianco, P. G., 1990. Potential role of the paleohistory of the Mediterranean and Paratethys basin on the early dispersal of Europe-Mediterranean freshwater fishes. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 1: 167–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bianco, P. G., 1995a. Factors affecting the distribution of freshwater fishes especially in Italy. Cybium 19: 241–259.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bianco, P. G., 1995b. Mediterranean endemic freshwater fishes of Italy. Biological Conservation 72: 159–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Briolay, J., N. Galtier, R. M. Brito & Y. Bouvet, 1998. Molecular phylogeny of Cyprinidae inferred from cytochrome b DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetic and Evolution 9: 100–108.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cattuto, C., C. Concetti & L. Gregari, 1988. Lo studio dei corsi d’acqua minori dell’Italia Appenninica come mezzo di indagine sulla tettonica del Plio/Pleistocene. Bollettino del Museo di Storia Naturale della Lunigiana 6–7: 7–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clement, M., D. Posada & K. A. Crandall, 2000. TCS: a computer program to estimate gene genealogies. Molecular Ecology 9: 1657–1660.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crivelli, A. J., 1996. The freshwater fish endemic to the northern Mediterranean region. An Action Plan for their Conservation. Station Biologique de la tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, Arles: 172 pp.

  • Durand, J. D., H. Persat & Y. Bouvet, 1999a. Phylogeography and postglacial dispersion of the chub (Leuciscus cephalus) in Europe. Molecular Ecology 8: 989–997.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Durand, J. D., A. R. Templeton, B. Guinand, A. Imsiridou & Y. Bouvet, 1999b. Nested clade and phylogeographic analyses of the Chub, Leuciscus cephalus (Teleostei, Cyprinidae) in Greece: implications for Balkan peninsula biogeography. Molecular Phylogenetic and Evolution 13: 566–580.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Durand, J. D., P. G. Bianco, J. Laroche & A. Gilles, 2003. Insight into the origin of endemic Mediterranean ichthyofauna: phylogeography of Chondrostoma genus (Teleostei, Cyprinidae). Journal of Heredity 94: 315–328.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Excoffier, L., E. Smouse & J. M. Quattro, 1992. Analyses of molecular variance inferred from metric distance among DNA haplotypes: application to human mitochondrial DNA restriction data. Genetics 131: 479–491.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Felsenstein, J., 1985. Confidence limits on phylogenies: an approach using the bootstrap. Evolution 39: 783–791.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fratini, S., S. Zaccara, S. Barbaresi, F. Grandjean, C. Souty-Grosset, G. Crosa & F. Gherardi, 2005. Phylogeography of the threatened crayfish (Genus Austropotamobius) in Italy: implications for its taxonomy and conservation. Heredity 94: 108–118.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gilles, A., R. Chappaz, L. Cavalli, M. Lörtscher & E. Faure, 1998a. Genetic differentiation and introgression between putative subspecies of L. souffia (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) of the region of the Mediterranean Alps. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 55: 2341–2354.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gilles, A., G. Lecointre, E. Faure, R. Chappaz & G. Brun, 1998b. Mitochondrial phylogeny of the European cyprinids: implications for their systematics, reticulate evolution and colonization time. Molecular Phylogenetic and Evolution 10: 132–143.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goudet, J., M. Raymond, T. de Meeüs & F. Rousset, 1996. Testing differentiation in diploid populations. Genetics 144: 1933–1940.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hasegawa, M., H. Kishino & T. Yano, 1985. Dating the human–ape splitting by a molecular clock of mitochondrial DNA. Journal of Molecular Evolution 22: 160–174.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, G. M., 1996. Some genetic consequences of ice ages, and their role in divergence and speciation. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 58: 247–276.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, G. M., 1999. Post-glacial re-colonization of European biota. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 68: 87–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsü, K., L. Montadert, D. Bernoulli, M. B. Cita, A. Erickson, R. E. Garrison, R. B. Kidd, F. Melieres, C. Müller & R. Wright, 1977. History of the Mediterranean salinity crisis. Nature 267: 399–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ketmaier, V., M. Coboldi, E. De Matthaeis & P. G. Bianco, 1998. Allozymic variability and biogeographic relationships in two Leuciscus species complexes (Cyprinidae) from southern Europe, with the rehabilitation of the genus Telestes Bonaparte. Italian Journal of Zoology 65: 41–48.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ketmaier, V., P. G. Bianco, M. Cobolli, M. Krivokapic, R. Caniglia & E. De Mattheism, 2004. Molecular phylogeny of two lineages of Leuciscinae cyprinids (Telestes and Scardinius) from the peri-Mediterranean area based on cytochrome b data. Molecular Phylogenetic and Evolution 32: 1061–1071.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kottelat, M., 1997. European freshwater fishes. An euristic checklist of the freshwater fishes of Europe (exclusive of former USSR), with an introduction for non-systematists and comments on nomenclature and conservation. Biologia (Section Zool.) 52: 1–271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kottelat, M. & J. Freyhof, 2007. Handbook of European Freshwater Fishes. Kottelat Cornol, Switzerland and Freyhof, Berlin, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Machordom, A. & I. Doadrio, 2001. Evidence of a Cenozoic Betic-Kabilian connection based on freshwater fish phylogeography (Luciobarbus, Cyprinidae). Molecular Phylogenetic and Evolution 18: 252–263.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Machordom, A., Y. Nicolas & A. J. Crivelli, 1999. Genetic variability and differentiation in Leuciscus (Telestes) souffia. Taxonomic and conservation inferences. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences—Series III—Sciences de la Vie 322: 15–28.

  • Moritz, C., 1994. Applications of mitochondrial DNA analysis in conservation: critical review. Molecular Ecology 3: 401–411.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Myers, G. S., 1938. Freshwater fishes and West Indian zoogeography. Smithsonian Institution. Annual Report 1937: 339–364.

  • Nei, M., 1987. Molecular Evolutionary Genetics. Columbia University Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pielou, E. C., 1979. Biogeography. Wiley, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Posada, D. & K. A. Crandall, 1998. Modeltest: testing the model of DNA substitution. Bioinformatics 14: 817–818.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Posada, D., K. A. Crandall & R. Templeton, 2000. GEODIS: a program for the cladistic nested analysis of the geographical distribution of genetic haplotypes. Molecular Ecology 9: 487–488.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raymond, M. & F. Rousset, 1995. An exact test for population differentiation. Evolution 49: 1280–1283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ronquist, F., 1997. Dispersal-vicariance analysis: a new approach to the quantification of historical biogeography. Systems Biology 46: 195–203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rozas, J. & R. Rozas, 2001. DnaSP 352 DNA Sequence Polimorphism. Software for Nucleotidic Polymorphism Analysis. Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona.

  • Salducci, M. D., J. F. Martin, N. Pech, R. Chappaz, C. Costedoat & A. Gilles, 2004. Deciphering the evolutionary biology of freshwater fish using multiple approaches insights for the biological conservation of the Vairone. Conservation Genetics 5: 63–77.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salzburger, W., A. Brandstätter, A. Gilles, W. Parson, M. Hempel, C. Sturmbauer & A. Meyer, 2003. Phylogeography of the vairone (Leuciscus souffia, Risso 1826) in Central Europe. Molecular Ecology 12: 2371–2386.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, S., D. Roessli & L. Excoffier, 2000. ARLEQUIN, ver 30: software for population genetics data analysis. http://anthrounigech/arlequin.

  • Sestini, A., 1957. VIII Monti e Pianure: l’Appennino e le isole In: L’Italia Fisica, Conosci l’Italia, Vol. I. Touring Club Italiano, Milano: 207–245.

  • Šlechtovà, V., J. Bohlen, J. Freyhof, H. Persat & G. B. Delmastro, 2004. The Alps as barrier to dispersal in cold-adapted history and taxonomic status of the bullhead in the Adriatic freshwater drainage. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 33: 225–239.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stefani, F., P. Galli, S. Zaccara & G. Crosa, 2004. Genetic variability and phylogeography of the cyprinid Telestes muticellus within the Italian peninsula as revealed by mitochondrial DNA. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 42: 323–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swofford, D. L., 2002. PAUP* Version 40b10—Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony [Computer software and manual] Sinauer Assoc, Sunderland.

  • Taberlet, P., L. Fumagalli, A. G. Wust-Saucy & J. F. Cosson, 1998. Comparative phylogeography and postglacial colonisation routes in Europe. Molecular Ecology 7: 453–464.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Templeton, A. R., 1998. Nested clade analysis of phylogeographic data: testing hypothesis about gene flow and population history. Molecular Ecology 7: 381–397.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Templeton, A. R. & C. F. Sing, 1993. A cladistic analysis of phenotypic associations with haplotypes inferred from restriction endonuclease mapping IV Nested analysis with cladogram uncertainty and recombination. Genetics 134: 659–669.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Templeton, A. R., K. A. Crandall & C. F. Sing, 1992. A cladistic analysis of phenotypic associations with haplotypes inferred from restriction endonuclease mapping and DNA sequence data III Cladogram estimation. Genetics 132: 619–633.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, J. D., T. J. Gibson, F. Plewniak, F. Jeanmougin & D. G. Higgins, 1997. The Clustal X windows interface: flexible strategies for multiple sequence alignment aided by quality analysis tools. Nucleic Acids Research 24: 4876–4882.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, S., H. Persat, R. Eppe, C. Schlotterer & F. Uiblein, 2002. Complex patterns of colonization and refugia revealed for European grayling Thymallus thymallus, based on complete sequencing of the mitochondrial DNA control region. Molecular Ecology 11: 1393–1407.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zaccara, S., F. Stefani & G. B. Delmastro, 2007. Phylogeographic structure of vairone Telestes muticellus (Teleostei, Cyprinidae) within three European peri-Mediterranean districts. Zoologica Scripta 36: 443–453.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zardoya, R. & I. Doadrio, 1998. Phylogenetic relationships of Iberian cyprinids: systematic and biogeographical implications. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B 265: 1365–1372.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zardoya, R. & I. Doadrio, 1999. Molecular evidence on the evolutionary and biogeographical patterns of European Cyprinids. The Journal of Molecular Evolution 49: 227–237.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the staff of the Molecular Ecology Laboratory, especially Flavio Marchetto and Luca Buonerba, for their help in the lab. Many thanks are also due to Giovanni Bernardini and Federica Rossi of the University of Insubria, Italy for their technical support. This study was funded by the same university.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecology Unit, Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Sciences, University of Insubria, via Dunant 3, 21100, Varese, Italy

    Serena Zaccara

  2. Laboratorio di Ittiologia, Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Cascina Vigna – Casella Postale 89, 10022, Carmagnola (TO), Italy

    Giovanni B. Delmastro

Authors
  1. Serena Zaccara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Giovanni B. Delmastro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Serena Zaccara.

Additional information

Handling editor: Christian Sturmbauer

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zaccara, S., Delmastro, G.B. Tyrrhenian basins of Ligury as a new peri-Mediterranean ichthyogeographic district? Population structure of Telestes muticellus (Osteichthyes, Cyprinidae), a primary freshwater fish. Hydrobiologia 632, 285–295 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-009-9851-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-009-9851-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation