Abstract
Fertility, survival rate, larval growth, as well as genetic variability at 23 loci, were analyzed in two populations representing the first and fourth generations of the African siluriform Heterobranchus longifilis Valenciennes (1840). A loss of genetic variability was observed in the fourth generation as compared to the first generation, and in the first generation as compared to the wild population studied earlier. Therefore, for 23 loci studied, only one single polymorphic locus with two alleles was observed for the fourth generation, two polymorphic loci with two alleles for the first generation. The first generation strain is characterized by a lower rate of deformed fry and greater survival to the 14th day compared to those of the fourth generation strain. This difference in the survival rate did not permit clear interpretation of the differences observed in growth rates. A study measuring the effect of stocking density on growth rate showed the negative correlation between stocking density and growth rate. These results show that H. longifilis is a species for which domestication may lead to loss of genetic variability and decreases in performance.
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