Genetic characterization of native and introduced populations of the neotropical cichlid genus Cichla in Brazil

Daniel Cardoso De Carvalho,Horacio Schneider,Iracilda Sampaio,Peter Teske,Luciano B Beheregaray,Denise Aparecida Andrade De Oliveira,José Enemir Dos Santos

doi:10.1590/s1415-47572009005000060

Abstract

A molecular phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial 16S ribosomal DNA and Control Region sequences from native and introduced populations was undertaken, in order to characterize the introduction of Cichla (peacock bass or tucunaré) species in Brazil. Mitochondrial DNA haplotypes found in introduced fish from Minas Gerais state (southeastern Brazil) clustered only with those from native species of the Tocantins River (Cichla piquiti and C. kelberi), thereby suggesting a single or, at most, few translocation acts in this area, even though with fish from the same source-population. Our study contributes to an understanding of the introduction of Cichla in regions of Brazil outside the Amazon basin, and adds phylogenetic data to the recently describe Cichla species, endemic from the Tocantins-Araguaia basin.

Highlights

The introduction of non-native species is considered to be the second greatest threat to native biodiversity, after habitat loss (UNEP 2005). Pimentel et al (2005) estimate that non-native or indigenous species represent a cost of approximately $120 billion per year in damages and control for the USA alone
The present study aims at specifying the genetic origin of the invasive tucunaré populations in four major Minas Gerais river basins by means of the molecular phylogenetic analysis of partial mtDNA regions (16s and Control Region - CR), besides providing additional molecular information on those native species not analyzed by Willis et al (2007)
The indigenous species from the Tocantins River formed two distinct clusters, C. piquiti, and C. kelberi significantly supported by Bayesian posterior probabilities (PP) of 0,95 and 0,99, respectively

Summary

Introduction

The introduction of non-native species is considered to be the second greatest threat to native biodiversity, after habitat loss (UNEP 2005). Pimentel et al (2005) estimate that non-native or indigenous species represent a cost of approximately $120 billion per year in damages and control for the USA alone. The present study aims at specifying the genetic origin of the invasive tucunaré populations in four major Minas Gerais river basins by means of the molecular phylogenetic analysis of partial mtDNA regions (16s and Control Region - CR), besides providing additional molecular information on those native species not analyzed by Willis et al (2007).

Results

Conclusion