Germplasm differences among three species of genus Erythroculter based on morphological characters and gene sequences of mitochondrial CO I and Cyt b

Abstract

Fish of genus Erythroculter (Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae, Abramidinae) are important commercial freshwater species in China. In this work, morphological characters and gene sequences of mitochondrial CO I and Cyt b were analysed to investigate the germplasm differences among E. mongolicus, E. dabryi and E. ilishaeformis. Results demonstrated that about countable trait, there were six traits (scale in/ above/ below lateral line, gill‐raker in first left gill‐arch and branched fin‐ray in anal/ pectoral fin) showed significant differences. Gene fragments of CO I and Cyt b was 905 bps and 1,142 bps respectively. In CO I, there were 54.3% base content of A + T, 14 haplotypes and 84 nucleotide variable sites. As to Cyt b, there were 56.3% base content of A + T, 20 haplotypes and 142 nucleotide variable sites. In both CO I and Cyt b, the highest and lowest nucleotide diversity was detected in E. ilishaeformis and E. mongolicus respectively. According to morphological distance, genetic distance, genetic differentiation coefficient (Fst) and gene flow, E. dabryi was grouped together with E. ilishaeformis firstly, and then clustered with E. mongolicus. These results might be useful in the conservation and management of fishery resources of these three species.