Evidence of lack of population substructuring in the Brazilian freshwater fish Prochilodus costatus

Luis F. Carvalho-Costa,Pedro M. Galetti Jr.,Terumi Hatanaka

doi:10.1590/s1415-47572008000200036

Luis F. Carvalho-Costa, Pedro M. Galetti Jr. + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1415-47572008000200036

Copy DOI

Abstract

Curimbata-pioa (Prochilodus costatus Valenciennes, 1850) is an endemic species from the Sao Francisco River Basin with migratory habits, important ecological role in the ecosystem and relevant fishing importance. The present study aimed to assess the genetic variation in P. costatus in order to investigate its population genetic structure. Genetic variation was studied at three sites downstream the Tres Marias dam (Upper-middle Sao Francisco River, State of Minas Gerais) through six specific microsatellite loci. Fish from the three sites had quite similar genetic diversity levels and no genetic differentiation was detected, suggesting that P. costatus might represent a single reproductive unit in the studied area. Alternatively, the present study was not able to detect putative coexistent and comigrating populations along the main channel river. Our findings could be very helpful for the management and conservation of this fish.

Highlights

The São Francisco River is one of the main Brazilian rivers located in an area inhabited by approximately 13 million people (Cappio et al, 1995)
Fish from 152 species inhabits the river basin, and some of them migrate in the reproduction season, no mechanism for fish passage exists at the Três Marias dam (Sato and Godinho, 2004)
Water fish (Wasko and Galetti Jr., 2002; Hatanaka and Galetti Jr., 2003; Hatanaka et al, 2006). Confronted with this scenario, the goals of this study were to assess the genetic diversity of Prochilodus costatus, and to investigate its population genetic structure downstream of the Três Marias dam

Summary

Introduction

The São Francisco River is one of the main Brazilian rivers located in an area inhabited by approximately 13 million people (Cappio et al, 1995). The river was effectively fragmented into two parts since the Três Marias dam was built in the upper-middle region of the basin (Sato and Godinho, 2004). Fish from 152 species inhabits the river basin, and some of them migrate in the reproduction season, no mechanism for fish passage exists at the Três Marias dam (Sato and Godinho, 2004).

Objectives

Results

Conclusion