Population genetics of a widely distributed small freshwater fish with varying conservation concerns: the southern purple-spotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa.

Minami Sasaki, Michael Hammer, Peter UNMACK, Mark Adams, Luciano Beheregaray

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

    3 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Genetic variation plays a pivotal role in species viability and the maintenance of population genetic variation is a main focus of conservation biology. Threatened species often show reduced genetic variation compared to non-threatened species, and this is considered indicative of lowered evolutionary potential, compromised reproductive fitness, and elevated extinction risk. The southern purplespotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa, is a small freshwater fish with poor dispersal potential that was once common throughout the Murray¿Darling Basin (MDB) and along the central east coast of Australia. Its numbers and distribution have shrunk dramatically in the MDB due to flow alteration, degradation of habitat, decreasing water quality, and introduction of alien species. We used microsatellite DNA markers to assess population structure and genetic variation at both large (i.e. across basin) and fine (i.e. within river catchments) spatial scales using a substantial sampling effort across the species range (n = 579 individuals; 35 localities). The results consistently indicated very low levels of genetic variation throughout, including along the east coast where the species is relatively common. At the broader scale, three highly differentiated groups of populations were found, concordant with previously reported genealogical distinctiveness. Hence we propose each group as a distinct Evolutionarily Significant Unit. We also inferred a minimum of 12 management units in M. adspersa, with no appreciable gene flow between them. Our study discloses findings relevant for both longand short-term management, as it informs on the geographic context in which conservation priorities should be defined and specifies biological units for population monitoring and translocations.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)875-889
    Number of pages15
    JournalConservation Genetics
    Volume17
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2016

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    Population Genetics
    Fresh Water
    freshwater fish
    population genetics
    genetic variation
    Fishes
    basins
    fish
    basin
    Population
    coasts
    Endangered Species
    extinction risk
    Gene Flow
    coast
    Water Quality
    threatened species
    introduced species
    Rivers
    translocation

    Cite this

    Sasaki, Minami ; Hammer, Michael ; UNMACK, Peter ; Adams, Mark ; Beheregaray, Luciano. / Population genetics of a widely distributed small freshwater fish with varying conservation concerns: the southern purple-spotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa. In: Conservation Genetics. 2016 ; Vol. 17, No. 4. pp. 875-889.
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    title = "Population genetics of a widely distributed small freshwater fish with varying conservation concerns: the southern purple-spotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa.",
    abstract = "Genetic variation plays a pivotal role in species viability and the maintenance of population genetic variation is a main focus of conservation biology. Threatened species often show reduced genetic variation compared to non-threatened species, and this is considered indicative of lowered evolutionary potential, compromised reproductive fitness, and elevated extinction risk. The southern purplespotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa, is a small freshwater fish with poor dispersal potential that was once common throughout the Murray¿Darling Basin (MDB) and along the central east coast of Australia. Its numbers and distribution have shrunk dramatically in the MDB due to flow alteration, degradation of habitat, decreasing water quality, and introduction of alien species. We used microsatellite DNA markers to assess population structure and genetic variation at both large (i.e. across basin) and fine (i.e. within river catchments) spatial scales using a substantial sampling effort across the species range (n = 579 individuals; 35 localities). The results consistently indicated very low levels of genetic variation throughout, including along the east coast where the species is relatively common. At the broader scale, three highly differentiated groups of populations were found, concordant with previously reported genealogical distinctiveness. Hence we propose each group as a distinct Evolutionarily Significant Unit. We also inferred a minimum of 12 management units in M. adspersa, with no appreciable gene flow between them. Our study discloses findings relevant for both longand short-term management, as it informs on the geographic context in which conservation priorities should be defined and specifies biological units for population monitoring and translocations.",
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    author = "Minami Sasaki and Michael Hammer and Peter UNMACK and Mark Adams and Luciano Beheregaray",
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    Sasaki, M, Hammer, M, UNMACK, P, Adams, M & Beheregaray, L 2016, 'Population genetics of a widely distributed small freshwater fish with varying conservation concerns: the southern purple-spotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa.', Conservation Genetics, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 875-889. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-016-0829-2

    Population genetics of a widely distributed small freshwater fish with varying conservation concerns: the southern purple-spotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa. / Sasaki, Minami; Hammer, Michael; UNMACK, Peter; Adams, Mark; Beheregaray, Luciano.

    In: Conservation Genetics, Vol. 17, No. 4, 2016, p. 875-889.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

    TY - JOUR

    T1 - Population genetics of a widely distributed small freshwater fish with varying conservation concerns: the southern purple-spotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa.

    AU - Sasaki, Minami

    AU - Hammer, Michael

    AU - UNMACK, Peter

    AU - Adams, Mark

    AU - Beheregaray, Luciano

    PY - 2016

    Y1 - 2016

    N2 - Genetic variation plays a pivotal role in species viability and the maintenance of population genetic variation is a main focus of conservation biology. Threatened species often show reduced genetic variation compared to non-threatened species, and this is considered indicative of lowered evolutionary potential, compromised reproductive fitness, and elevated extinction risk. The southern purplespotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa, is a small freshwater fish with poor dispersal potential that was once common throughout the Murray¿Darling Basin (MDB) and along the central east coast of Australia. Its numbers and distribution have shrunk dramatically in the MDB due to flow alteration, degradation of habitat, decreasing water quality, and introduction of alien species. We used microsatellite DNA markers to assess population structure and genetic variation at both large (i.e. across basin) and fine (i.e. within river catchments) spatial scales using a substantial sampling effort across the species range (n = 579 individuals; 35 localities). The results consistently indicated very low levels of genetic variation throughout, including along the east coast where the species is relatively common. At the broader scale, three highly differentiated groups of populations were found, concordant with previously reported genealogical distinctiveness. Hence we propose each group as a distinct Evolutionarily Significant Unit. We also inferred a minimum of 12 management units in M. adspersa, with no appreciable gene flow between them. Our study discloses findings relevant for both longand short-term management, as it informs on the geographic context in which conservation priorities should be defined and specifies biological units for population monitoring and translocations.

    AB - Genetic variation plays a pivotal role in species viability and the maintenance of population genetic variation is a main focus of conservation biology. Threatened species often show reduced genetic variation compared to non-threatened species, and this is considered indicative of lowered evolutionary potential, compromised reproductive fitness, and elevated extinction risk. The southern purplespotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa, is a small freshwater fish with poor dispersal potential that was once common throughout the Murray¿Darling Basin (MDB) and along the central east coast of Australia. Its numbers and distribution have shrunk dramatically in the MDB due to flow alteration, degradation of habitat, decreasing water quality, and introduction of alien species. We used microsatellite DNA markers to assess population structure and genetic variation at both large (i.e. across basin) and fine (i.e. within river catchments) spatial scales using a substantial sampling effort across the species range (n = 579 individuals; 35 localities). The results consistently indicated very low levels of genetic variation throughout, including along the east coast where the species is relatively common. At the broader scale, three highly differentiated groups of populations were found, concordant with previously reported genealogical distinctiveness. Hence we propose each group as a distinct Evolutionarily Significant Unit. We also inferred a minimum of 12 management units in M. adspersa, with no appreciable gene flow between them. Our study discloses findings relevant for both longand short-term management, as it informs on the geographic context in which conservation priorities should be defined and specifies biological units for population monitoring and translocations.

    KW - Conservation genetics Freshwater fish

    KW - Endangered biodiversity Ecological genetics

    KW - Phylogeography Population connectivity

    U2 - 10.1007/s10592-016-0829-2

    DO - 10.1007/s10592-016-0829-2

    M3 - Article

    VL - 17

    SP - 875

    EP - 889

    JO - Conservation Genetics

    JF - Conservation Genetics

    SN - 1566-0621

    IS - 4

    ER -

    Sasaki M, Hammer M, UNMACK P, Adams M, Beheregaray L. Population genetics of a widely distributed small freshwater fish with varying conservation concerns: the southern purple-spotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa. Conservation Genetics. 2016;17(4):875-889. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-016-0829-2

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